Revenge: Part 1
by KRJ0792XX1
Summary: COMPLETE. Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? M is for violence, swearing and gore.
1. Chapter 1: Chosen

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **LAST EDITED: 2/27/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Chosen**

"The champion for Durmstrang … is Viktor Krum!" said Dumbledore.

The students inside of the Great Hall, located within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, all cheered for the professional Bulgarian quidditch seeker. The students of Durmstrang all gathered around Krum and gave their congratulations. After a few minutes of celebrating, Viktor walked up to the front, shook the hands of Igor Karkaroff, Madame Maxine, and Dumbledore, and stood next to the table where all the professors ate.

"No surprises there!" said Ron Weasley to Harry Potter.

Harry smirked and continued to clap with his fellow classmates. The students were were now patiently awaiting the results of the next two champions. Suddenly, the Goblet of Fire turned violet once again and shot another piece of parchment out into the air. Dumbledore caught the burnt scrap of parchment, and proceeded to read the next name.

"The champion for Beauxbatons … is Fleur Delacour!" said Dumbledore.

The students in the Great Hall cheered even louder for Fleur than they did for Krum. Well most of them did. With the exception of most of the Slytherins and Harry, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley, Fleur's selection for the tournament caused mass hysteria.

Like Viktor, Fleur rose from her seat and stood next to Krum at the front of the Great Hall. Unlike Krum however, Fleur didn't shake Dumbledore's hand or Karkaroff's, but instead ran to Madame Maxine and gave her a hug.

"Of course she would get picked. The snobbiest one in all of Beauxbatons just happens to be chosen for the Goblet of Fire. I am calling a fix on this later!" Ginny said with some slight venom in her voice.

Hermione laughed a bit from Ginny's reaction. Harry had to agree that it seemed all too convenient for that girl to be chosen, especially since he had learned not too long ago that she was indeed part Veela. Ron didn't mind however because his jaw was still on the floor while looking at Fleur.

After getting smacked upside the head by Hermione, Ron came back to his senses. The Goblet of Fire turned violet once more and moments later another name was selected. Dumbledore grabbed the small parchment, and read the last champion's name aloud for all to hear.

"The Hogwarts champion ... is Cedric Diggory!" said Dumbledore.

At that moment, the Hufflepuff table erupted in applause for their housemate. Cedric had to literally peel the adoring fans off his back in order to go up to the front and shake Dumbledore's, Karkaroff's, and Madame Maxine's hands.

Harry laughed a little at the sight before him, but was happy that Diggory was selected to compete in the tournament.

"Interesting," said Hermione. "I never thought Cedric would have been chosen. I thought it was going to be either the head girl or head boy." Harry questioned Hermione's logic, but somewhat agreed with his pseudo sister and continued clapping for Diggory. Cedric had gone to the front of the hall and began listening to what Dumbledore was saying.

"Excellent! We now have our three champions!" said Dumbledore. He then took on a solemn tone. "I must warn these champions that there's no going back. The champions will stand alone! As of this moment, the … "

Dumbledore stopped his speech once he heard a sound coming from the Goblet of Fire and stood in awe once he saw the prominent blue flames change into the violet color once more. A moment later, the goblet shot out one final piece of parchment into the air. Dumbledore caught the slip and a look of terror came across his face once he read the name aloud.

"Harry Potter." Dumbledore said somewhat quietly.

Everyone turned their heads to where Harry was sitting. Harry looked at Hermione, Ron, and Ginny and he was just as dumbfounded as they were. The boy wanted to make sure his friends believed him before going up there.

"I didn't put my name in the cup!" said Harry. "You all believe me right?"

Ron gave Harry an angered look and looked away from his friend.

 _"What's his problem? Ron knows I wouldn't do anything this stupid!"_ Harry thought.

Hermione was speechless. The questioning look on her face, however, was everything Harry did not want to see. This gave him some anger that started to boil for his two best friends.

 _"Great. So Hermione is not sure what to believe, and Ron is pissed off at me. What else could go wrong?"_ Harry thought.

Ginny on the other hand was sad that Harry was put into the tournament in the first place. She knew that and wanted to hug him but couldn't at that point in time. The only thing she could do was say:

"I believe you Harry." said Ginny.

Both Ron and Hermione gave her a surprised look, but the youngest Weasley responded with a scowl of her own at them. Harry was grateful that Ginny believed him, but couldn't say more to her because Dumbledore called his name out once again.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore said in a louder tone than the last time.

"Go on, Harry! Get up there!" said Hermione.

"I won't go until you all believe me!" Harry said in response to his friends.

"Harry, please go! We will talk about this later!" Hermione said.

"HARRY POTTER!" Dumbledore shouted for the final time.

Harry stood up from the table and proceeded to walk to the front of the Great Hall. Many whispers and murmurs could be heard around him and Harry started to become uncomfortable. When he reached the front, Harry could see Hagrid shocked beyond all belief and had a few tears coming from his eyes.

"No. No. It's not possible." Hagrid whispered under his breath.

The next comments however were clearly heard by everyone.

"He's a cheat! He's not even old enough to enter this tournament!" said someone from the crowd.

Harry turned around to find the voice, but was not able to locate who had said it.

"What rubbish!" Fred and George Weasley yelled at the same time.

This time Harry knew where those comments came from and was aggravated from the Weasley twins responses.

From there the Great Hall started to erupt with anger. Students and teachers were outraged that Harry Potter, a 14 year old boy, was chosen to compete in the Tri-Wizard tournament. Since Dumbledore had drawn the age line around the Goblet of Fire, many students were not able to enter their names because of it. So the likelihood of Harry being able to submit his name was extremely unexpected, if not impossible.

This didn't matter to anyone however.

"Silence!" shouted Dumbledore. The old wizard turned his head to the champions and said "You four must head to the back room immediately. There are things that we all need to discuss."

"Yes. Like how the fact this little boy was able to get into the tournament Dumbledore?" Karkaroff asked menacingly.

"Igor please head to the back with the others. We will find out the cause of this incident, I assure you." said Dumbledore.

The champions, tournament judges, Severus Snape, Alastor Moody, and Dumbledore all headed into the back room behind the Great Hall while the students continued to erupt in anger at Harry Potter being chosen. The Hogwarts Professors remained calm for the sake of the students, but you could tell that a lot of them were just as confused and upset as the kids were.

Ginny looked on in disgust at her fellow classmates. All around her she could hear Harry's name being badmouthed. Some of Harry's so called "friends" were saying things that were downright insulting. Ginny turned to the people nearest her and studied their reactions.

Seamus and Dean started betting how long Harry would survive, Fred and George were planning to congratulate Harry since he tricked the goblet, even though they were disappointed themselves, and Neville looked too shaken up to comprehend what happened.

There were a few others at the Hufflepuff table that were extremely upset that Harry Potter was chosen. The hateful expressions on their faces were enough to know that their time in the spotlight was stolen by a Gryffindor who was underage.

Ginny continued to take in the sounds of disapproval around her, and started to get infuriated. How could any of these people possibly be mad at Harry getting entered in the tournament? They should have been worried instead! This was obviously a set up and any sane person would be able to see that. The young girl's only hope for convincing others of Harry's innocence would start with Ron and Hermione.

The youngest Weasley turned her head to Hermione. The intelligent girl who seemed frightened for her friend was gone. Hermione was now scowling and talking to Ron about something. While she didn't get every word out of what was said, Ginny did hear the words "inexcusable", "unforgivable", and "reckless" coming out of Hermione's mouth.

The chaos in the Great Hall was becoming uncontrollable. While the professors tried to stop the yelling and screaming at the beginning, it was proving to be fruitless. Professor McGonagall could not stand any more of this madness, and projected her voice through the use of the sonorous charm.

"Quiet down all of you! Prefects please escort your houses back to their dormitories immediately!" said Professor McGonagall. She then headed into the back room where the champions and other professors were.

Not given much choice, the students stopped being outraged for the time being and followed their house prefects.

* * *

Back in the Gryffindor Common Room, most of the students were patiently awaiting the return of Harry Potter in order to either find out how he did it, or yell at him for getting into the tournament at all. Ron, Hermione and Ginny entered through the portrait entrance and the three of them pushed through the crowed room to find a spot near the back.

Ron and Hermione were not arguing for once while Ginny was anxiously waiting for Harry. Since Ginny was only vaguely listening to their conversation, she initially ignored them. When Ron talked a bit louder, however, Ginny began listening a bit more closely.

"How could he have done it, Hermione?" asked Ron. "He's a cheat! If he was really my friend he would have told me how he had gotten himself entered!"

Ginny was shocked to hear that her dim witted brother was accusing Harry of something like this. Well maybe not that shocked.

Ron always was really quick to anger when they were kids, and it hadn't gotten any better as time went on. It always took the boy a while to see the truth, and more often than not, his anger would come back to bite him. What was more surprising to Ginny was the fact that Hermione was agreeing with that blockhead.

"I don't know, Ron. I should have known Harry would have done something like this. It's not enough for him to have a normal year is it? Why does Harry have to go off and do something so dangerous? I considered Harry like a sibling, but after something like this I don't know if I can be around him any longer!" said Hermione.

Ginny's jaw dropped to the floor.

"You two have got to be kidding me!" Ginny shouted.

Everyone in the common room turned their heads towards the direction of her shouting, but Ginny didn't care.

"How could you possibly think Harry would want to be in this tournament?" Ginny screamed at her brother and Hermione. She turned her head towards Ron.

"I should have guessed you would be stupid enough to believe Harry entered the tournament, you prat! You're his best mate and should take his word when he says he didn't enter. You, Ron, are an absolutely disgraceful friend!" said Ginny.

Ron began cowering in his seat thanks to his little sister. The young redheaded witch turned away and began scowling at Hermione.

"I am way more disgusted with you Hermione! I cannot believe you would turn your back on someone you considered family when he needs you the most! You know what his life is like outside of Hogwarts! Hermione, I am dumbfounded at your insanity. You need to get your head out of your ass and start seeing the truth!" said Ginny.

No one in the common spoke for several moments before two voices came in and ruined the silence.

"What's with all the yelling?" asked one of the Weasley twins that were across the room. Odds are it was more than likely to be Fred.

"Yeah ickle Gin-gin! Keep down all the screaming at Ron and Hermione." this twin was definitely George.

"Shut up both of you before I give you the bat-bogey hex of a lifetime. If either one of you think Harry put his name in the cup too, then you two are bigger morons than you lead people to believe." said Ginny.

"That won't be necessary oh conjurer of the bat-bogey hex!" said Fred.

"Yeah we were just heading out so don't mind us Gin." said George.

Ginny said nothing but watched her twin brothers with a stare that could kill. Getting the hint that they should make themselves scarce, Fred and George ran for the hills and out of the common room. Once the twins were out of sight, Ginny spoke up once more to the rest of the students.

"To the rest of you, I can see how bad this must look for Harry, and why you are upset. Harry could have entered the tournament by cheating, but that's not who he is. Wake up! Harry said he didn't do this, and that's all we need to believe him!" Ginny screeched.

With that, Ginny stormed off from the common room leaving a very distraught Ron and Hermione behind her. The rest of the students in the room stood in silence for a moment but then returned to their accusations about Potter.

"How can Ginny stick up for him like that? She doesn't know Harry like we do. Your sister is only saying that because she has that crush on him." said Hermione.

"I agree. I need to show my sister that Harry really is a huge glory hog that only cares about himself." said Ron.

He turned directly to Hermione and said "Hermione. I really need your help here. I don't want Ginny to be influenced by Harry freaking Potter and his reckless ways. Will you please help me?"

"Yes of course I will help you Ron. We're friends aren't we?" asked a hopeful Hermione.

"Yes. Yes we are friends Hermione." said Ron.

Ron bent down and kissed Hermione on the cheek. The young man then turned and headed up to his dormitory. As Hermione watched him leave, she touched her cheek and blushed.

 _"You certainly are full of surprises Ron Weasley."_ thought Hermione.

* * *

 _(Right after the four champions are sent into the back room behind the Great Hall)_

In order to keep things under control in the Great Hall, Dumbledore asked the four champions to head to the back room. Fleur, Viktor, and Diggory were extremely confused by Harry being chosen by the Goblet of Fire, but then again so was the Boy-Who-Lived. After a few moments of silence between the four of them, the young champions could hear people start to enter the room.

"I suppose you have a good explanation, Dumbledore, as to why a second champion from Hogwarts was selected for the tournament?" asked an irritated Karkaroff.

Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Believe me Igor, I wish I knew the answer as much as you." With that, Dumbledore turned his head to Harry.

"Harry! Please tell me you didn't put your name into the Goblet of Fire!" asked Dumbledore.

"No sir! I didn't!"

"You didn't ask another student to put your name in for you?" asked Dumbledore once more.

"No sir!" said Harry.

"You're absolutely sure?" Dumbledore questioningly shouted.

"Yes sir! I didn't even want to enter this tournament in the first place!" said Harry.

"Oh vell of course he iz lying!" said Madame Maxine.

"Zes he must be! Zis little boy iz obviously after the eternal glory of the tournament and tricked it zumhow to get in! We all got in fairly, but all he did was deceive the cup and iz now a liar and a fool!" said Fleur Delacour.

"To hell he is!" shouted Professor Moody. All eyes were on the crazy ex-auror right now.

"That Goblet of Fire is an extremely powerful magical object. Only an exceptionally powerful confundus charm could have hoodwinked it! That kind of magic requires skills that are way beyond the capabilities of a fourth year!"

"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought Mad-Eye!" said Karkaroff.

"It was once my job to think as dark wizards do Karkaroff, perhaps you remember?" said an irritated Alastor Moody.

Dumbledore turned to face Barty Crouch, one of the Ministry of Magic officials for the Goblet of Fire, and asked: "What do you think Mr. Crouch?"

After a few moments of silence, Barty Crouch was able to collect his thoughts and spoke freely.

"The Goblet of Fire constitutes a magical binding contract that cannot be broken. The rules are absolute. I am afraid we have no choice, Dumbledore. As of tonight, Harry Potter is now a Tri-Wizard Champion." said Barty Crouch Sr.

The heads of Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Barty Crouch Sr., Alastor Moody, Igor Karkaroff, Madame Maxine, Dumbledore, and the other three champions turned their gaze towards Harry Potter.

It was obvious that most of the adults in the room were concerned for what had gone on, and wanted an explanation more than anything, but only a few were afraid for what Harry would have to endure in the coming months from the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

The foreign champions and their mentors headed back to their living quarters, while Harry and Cedric started heading back towards their common rooms. When the two students were far enough away from everyone, Cedric spoke.

"Well Potter. It seems that you've gotten even more fame and attention than usual! Congratulations." Cedric said sarcastically.

"Cedric, please listen to me. I didn't put my name in the goblet. I'm really glad you were chosen as champion, and I would never to steal your thunder. I didn't enter the tournament. I swear." said Harry.

"Sure Harry, whatever you say." said Cedric.

Harry didn't say anything in return. It was clear that Cedric was a little peeved because he had his fifteen minutes of fame come and go thanks to Harry, but the Gryffindor Champion paid him no peace of mind. At a crossroad in the halls of Hogwarts, the two boys headed their separate ways.

 _"Why doesn't anyone believe me?"_ thought Harry.

 _"I didn't enter this damn tournament and I wont have the entire school thinking I'm a liar! I hope someone else believes me besides Ginny. Not that I don't mind her believing me. It would just be nice if someone else believed me as well. Then perhaps others would realize how ridiculous this whole thing sounds."_

"Harry!" said voice from behind him.

Harry turned around and saw that it was Ginny. She walked up to him and immediately pulled Harry into a hug. This was something Harry desperately needed right now, especially if it was from one of his good friends. After a moment, the red headed girl reluctantly let go, looked up at him, and blushed slightly.

"Harry, thank Merlin I found you. Did Dumbledore find a way to get you out of the tournament?" asked Ginny.

Harry shook his head. "No. Barty Crouch Sr. claimed that the tournament is a binding magical contract and there's no way out of it." He sighed and then continued speaking. "I have to compete in this bloody tournament." said Harry.

"I'm really sorry, Harry." said Ginny. She pulled him into another hug and the two sat in silence for a moment. Suddenly something donned on Harry that he needed to know about.

"Ginny, what's going on with Ron? Why did he scowl at me after my name was called?" asked Harry.

"Can't you tell? He's jealous Harry. He wanted all the fame and glory from the tournament for himself, but since he thinks you found a way in, my idiot brother is upset that you didn't tell him how to enter." said Ginny.

"That's crazy! Even if I did find a way in, I would let all of you know how to get in as well!" said Harry.

"I know Harry. Your real friends would have remembered that too. I just hope they come around eventually." Ginny sighed.

"What about Hermione? Does she not believe me either? She didn't look too pleased either to be honest." Harry asked.

"I am glad you didn't go back to the common room Harry. As soon as Ron and Hermione entered it, they began bashing your credibility. They both believe you are being reckless and stupid." said Ginny.

Harry dropped his gaze to the floor.

"So it's not just them is it? There are others who think that way too?"

"Unfortunately there are a lot in Gryffindor who think that way Harry. I can't speak for everyone, but if the twins want to avoid any hexing from me, then they'll believe you as well" Ginny answered.

"Well I thought Fred and George would already believe me, but it's nice to know they don't think I cheated."

"What about you? You believe me right Ginny? I swear I didn't enter this tournament and I have no interest in eternal glory or the cash prize. I have enough fame and money to last me a lifetime, and let me tell you, they're both nowhere near as important as the people I've lost." Harry admitted.

"Of course I believe you Harry. We're good friends and I would like to think I know you a lot by now. You saved my life in the Chamber of Secrets, you are a selfless person who thinks of others always before yourself, and I know you don't actively go searching for danger, even though it does tend to follow you." said Ginny whilst laughing a little at the last statement.

"What can I say? I am like a magnet to this stuff!" Harry chuckled.

"A what? What's a magnet?" asked Ginny.

"Oh umm … Never mind. Don't worry about what I said, Ginny." said Harry.

"Okay. Well come on Harry. We should probably get back to the common room now." said Ginny. She grabbed Harry's hand and began guiding him back to the tower, but Harry stood completely still and decided to pull her back to where he was.

"What's wrong, Harry? Don't you want to go back?" Ginny asked.

"Hold on. I need to tell you something." Harry nervously stated.

Ginny held her breath for a moment and temporarily forgot where she was thanks to Harry pulling her towards him. She looked into his gorgeous green eyes and started to feel weak at the knees. If Harry wasn't holding her up, she probably would have fallen over.

"I just want to say thanks for believing me. I never expected my two best friends to turn on me, but you ... you stood by me. I am forever in your debt, and I promise to thank you as much as I can. You really are a true friend and I'm glad to have you by my side." said Harry.

"You don't need to do anything for me, Harry. I am simply doing what any sane normal person would have done. You said it yourself that you didn't enter and I believe you. What more do I need to hear?" Ginny admitted while blushing madly and having a huge smile on her face.

Harry took his left hand and innocently grazed Ginny's cheek. Ginny gasped a little and she started to blush at Harry's gesture.

"Thanks Ginny." said Harry.

Ginny was not trusting her voice, so she decided to nod her head instead. She took Harry's hand once again and the two headed up the stairs. Neither noticed that they continued to hold hands until the Fat Lady came portrait came into view.

It seemed like all the Gryffindor students were waiting for Harry on the other side and he knew it was going to be an uncomfortable moment in the common room.


	2. Chapter 2: Forming a Plan

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? How can he deal with this and Voldemort? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **What Happened Previously:** Harry is chosen as a fourth champion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Ron, Hermione, and a lot of other people in the school refuse to believe Harry's innocence, while Ginny sticks up for him.

 **LAST EDITED: 2/23/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Forming a Plan**

Harry and Ginny were situated in front of the Gryffindor Common Room Door. Neither one of them wanted to go in, and who could blame them? They both knew what was coming; slander. Whether good, bad, or a mix of both, Ginny was anticipating the onslaught of questions that her friend would be subject to. In order to cause less trouble, Ginny decided to let go of Harry's hand. She didn't want to however, and would try to hold his hand again whenever she possibly could. But it was for his own good. Harry didn't need any more scrutiny than what was already coming to him.

Still outside the door, the two Gryffindors hesitated going inside. Ginny decided to speak up after she witnessed Harry getting more anxious..

"Harry, look at me."

Harry turned his head towards her and could guess where this was going, but listened anyways just to be sure.

"If you don't want to go in there right now you don't have to. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't want to face those people either. Anyone who called me a cheat or a liar would receive a ton of hexes their way. That doesn't mean it wouldn't hurt however, and I don't want that to cause you more pain." said Ginny.

Sighing, Harry said "No. As much of a good idea it is to stay out here with you, we should go in. I really don't want to, but it'll be better to get it over with now instead of later on."

"Okay. I'll stay with you if it'll make you feel better." said Ginny.

"Please do. I could really use some company. Even though you already informed me of what they said, I'm still afraid of what Ron and Hermione will say. This is the same Ron and Hermione that I've known for a few years. I couldn't imagine them turning on me." Harry stated.

"I know. I was just as shocked as you, Harry when Hermione didn't stick up for you."

"What about Ron?" Harry asked.

"I figured that moron would be jealous of who got chosen no matter what. It's just unfortunate that it had to be you."

"I suppose you're right, Ginny." Harry stated. "I guess I don't know what to make of this."

"I understand. From what I heard, it sounds like they're both confused on what happened and lashed out to you unfairly. I would just try to make them see reason by any means necessary. I imagine Ron will be the harder of the two to get through, but that doesn't mean you should give up. If they're really your friends, then they should apologize and you can all make up. Hopefully sooner rather than later" said Ginny.

Harry smiled at the young Weasley girl and felt a lot better after hearing her side of things.

"One more thing, Harry. If Ron and Hermione don't wise up, I'll still be your friend." Ginny added while giggling a little.

"Oh don't worry Miss Weasley. I have no intention of getting rid of you." Harry said while winking with a small laugh.

Suddenly the innocent playful banter between Harry and Ginny was interrupted.

"Are you two going to go in or just stand out here all night?" the Fat Lady demanded to know.

Harry and Ginny both started to blush and then turned towards the woman in the painting. The pair said their sorries gave the password. The portrait opened, and as soon as it did, Harry knew there was no going back.

Ginny touched Harry's arm for another moment as if she was saying _"Don't worry. I'm with you."_

Harry nodded and the two of them headed into the common room.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was sitting alone in the Slytherin Common Room, deep below the castle of Hogwarts. The young man was trying to understand the events of what happened earlier this evening.

 _"Is this something father hinted at when he said something 'huge' was going to happen this year?"_ he thought.

After pondering for a moment, the young Slytherin had no doubt that his father, Lucius Malfoy, was involved with this scheme. It may not have been his father's idea, but perhaps a certain Dark Lord could have persuaded him to get this kind of thing done inside Hogwarts. Even though Draco went along with whatever his father was doing with the Dark Lord, he was still angry that 'Potty' was chosen for this prestigious tournament. It should have been him, and he didn't care who knew it.

 _"Of course it had to be the great Harry Potter! It's sickening that a wizard who is basically a mud-blood was chosen for something like this. As if his head could get any bigger! Now everyone is going to cheer for him instead of me! I should be the one in the tournament! I'm not going to stand idly by while Potter gets more fame and glory for himself."_ thought Draco.

"Crabbe! Goyle!" Malfoy shouted. A few moments later the two sasquatch-like thugs from Slytherin came out of the shadows and sat near Draco Malfoy.

"We need to do something about this Harry-Bloody-Potter catastrophe! It's obvious that he tricked the Goblet of Fire and found a way in. If anyone should have been entered in this tournament, it should be me!" said Malfoy.

Crabbe was smart enough to not admit out loud that Draco Malfoy would probably have died in the tournament if he was selected. Although he did not know at the time, Goyle thought the exact same thing about Draco possibly dying a lot quicker.

"What did you have in mind?" asked Crabbe.

Draco pondered for a few moments before answering. As much as he hated to admit it, this scheme to get back at Potter would take more than just the noble house of Slytherin to back him up. The first thing he would have to do would be to find other members to join this group of people against Potter.

"For now all we can do is go out and find those who either don't like Potter, those who want to see some harm come to him, or both! I want you two to watch out for anyone in the Hogwarts Houses that may fit this description. That especially includes the other three champions. When you find someone, corner them and give them a letter that I will personally write after you explain your choices to me!" stated Malfoy.

"What are you going to in the mean time?" asked Crabbe once again.

"I need to speak to my father. He is the only one who may be able to help me from the outside." said Draco.

With that, the three Slytherins disbanded. Crabbe and Goyle went to their rooms to sleep, while Malfoy searched for some parchment and began writing to his father.

* * *

 _Dear Father,_

 _The great Potter has been chosen as a fourth champion for the Tri-Wizard tournament. I for one am not pleased! What gives Scar-Head the right to enter this prestigious tournament anyways? This kind of privilege should have been reserved for me, for I am the best candidate for these tasks!_

 _While I am somewhat satisfied that most people are accusing him of tricking the Goblet of Fire, like I am, I cannot help but wonder if this was alluding to something you mentioned to me before the school year started?_

 _You said that "Many surprising moments were about to happen this year" and one of which would shock me entirely. Is this what you meant? If so, I wish to help in destroying that mud-blooded prick once and for all._ _I do have the beginning stages of a plan, but it will require some help from the outside. This is where you come in. If you wish to hear my plan, please send a reply by owl with a date and time to which we can communicate by floo network._

 _Your son,_

 _Draco_

* * *

Having finished his letter, Draco grabbed the written parchment and strode out of the Common Room. Surprisingly, no one was able to spot Draco as he made his way to the Owlery and used his black feathered family owl to deliver this important letter.

"Don't stop for anything. Do you hear me?" Draco ordered to his owl.

The owl nodded as if to understand him and then flew off into the night. As he started going back down the stairs to the Slytherin Common Room, Draco was cornered by none other than Professor Alastor Moody.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Moody growled. "What are you doing out of bed? Just because your father is high up in the ministry doesn't mean I can't give you detention you little ferret!"

Draco knew that this was not the real Alastor Moody, but rather one of Voldemort's Death Eaters in disguise. His father mentioned this before attending school this year, so that if he ever got into trouble, the agent could use his Hogwarts influence to assist him. Even though Draco wanted to tell the newest "professor" off for answering in a demeaning manor, the young man knew this was something he shouldn't do. The only thing to say was something polite.

"Pardon me, professor. I had to urgently send a letter to my father and it couldn't wait till morning." Draco replied while gritting his teeth.

"That's no excuse to be out of the common room after hours Mr. Malfoy! I'm docking you 20 points from Slytherin! Now go back to the Slytherin dormitories, and don't come out till morning or it'll be another 20 points!" said Moody.

"Are you serious, "professor"?" Draco asked with some venom in his voice.

"Deadly serious you little punk. Get out of here. Now!"

"Yes professor." said Draco whilst gritting his teeth in frustration once more. The blonde haired student then turned away and headed back to the dungeons.

 _"So you had to send a letter to dear old daddy didn't you Draco? This better not have anything to do with the Dark Lord's plans for the resurrection ritual. I'm not going to let this teenage brat get in the way of my master's goal!"_ thought Moody.

The death worshiping agent turned towards his living quarters in order to reach the floo network that was set up.

 _"Wait. I can't use this! They'll probably be monitoring me since I'm using the Hogwarts floo network! Damn! Fine I'll just hop from place to place and hopefully cover my tracks!"_ thought "Moody".

A different destination had to be chosen, so the best place to start would be somewhere extremely common.

"The Leaky Cauldron!"

And with that the professor disappeared in a green flame towards his destination.

* * *

The Gryffindor Common Room exploded with cheer as Harry entered with Ginny closely beside him. The young man could literally feel the unwelcome praise, and hate, from all around the room.

"Well done, Harry! How'd you do it?"

"I didn't enter."

"Harry, you're a cheat! I hope Cedric Diggory wipes the floor with you!" said a different voice.

"I didn't enter."

"Oh come off it, Harry. We all know you got in somehow. Just tell us!" said another voice.

"I. Didn't. Enter!"

"You really think you stand a chance, Potter? I hope you die trying." said another voice.

"I Didn't Enter!" Harry shouted.

Of course no one was listening to his claims, but Harry was reaching his limits with the amount of stupidity in the room. More voices were asking how Harry managed to become a champion, but the fourth year somewhat tuned them all out. Before reaching the stairs, someone else approached him.

"Harry!"

Harry was standing in front of Colin Creevy, the third year Gryffindor who was obsessed with him. He was extremely talented behind a camera lens, however.

"Harry, I want to get your picture before anyone else! You're going to be famous! Well ... more famous than you already are!" said Colin.

"No thanks Colin." said Harry. "Hey Colin. You don't really think I entered this tournament do you?"

"Of course you did Harry! You're the real Hogwarts champion and I'm glad the Goblet picked you!" Colin admitted without hesitation.

 _"_ _It figures Colin would go star struck over me. His fascination of me clouds his judgement! If he wasn't so nice I would punch him."_ Harry angrily thought to himself.

The annoying Gryffindors around Harry continued to question him.

"Harry how did you get in?"

"Don't expect me to root for you, Potter!"

"Marry me, Harry!"

"Harry, you're the worst you know that?"

The young man was now exploding with anger beyond comprehension. He had taken enough from his fellow classmates, but would not stand for more. Ginny backed away from Harry for a moment, because she could feel the anger radiating off them.

"Okay that's enough!" Harry shouted.

The young man made his way to the middle of the common room and stared shouting at everyone.

"I'm only going to say this once more and that's the end of it. Look. I didn't enter this tournament. Okay? I don't have to prove anything to you because my word should be enough. I wasn't seeking eternal glory or the cash prize. Honest. If you can't accept my word, then get out of my sight! I don't want to be surrounded by those who believe I am a cheat and a liar!" Harry protested.

The Gryffindors in the common room were quiet, and a little afraid, but continued to listen when Harry spoke up again.

"Look. I'm sorry for yelling, but you have to understand that I did not want to participate in this tournament. I hope that you can all believe me when I say that I did not enter myself."

Harry thought that by appealing to everyone on a calmer note, that they would be inclined to believe him more. This however was not the case and only seemed to make things worse. The entire room began to turn on him.

"You suck, Potter!"

"You're a disgrace to Gryffindor!"

"Boo! Some champion you are!"

"I don't want to marry you after all! You're horrible!"

"You're just a brute! You stink, Potter!"

"Cedric is the real champion! You're just a fraud!"

"Harry don't worry about them. Just try to calm down and stay focused." Ginny whispered while approaching him. She grabbed his hand once more in the hopes of calming him down.

"I'm trying, Ginny." Harry muttered. He then made his way though the crowd once again, but the comments kept on coming.

"Don't expect for me to root for you Potter!"

"Just tell us how you entered, Harry!"

"Come on Harry! Stop stalling and tell us how you did it!"

"Shut up all of you!" Harry yelled back. He absentmindedly let go of Ginny's hand as he pushed his way to the stairs even harder.

At that moment, everyone began cheering for Cedric.

"CED-RIC! CED-RIC! CED-RIC! CED-RIC!" said the Gryffindor students.

"You're all a bunch of idiots!" Harry shouted one final time before he ascended the stairs to his dormitory.

Ginny was filled with rage because, once again, other people decided to believe what they had seen but not listen to logic. The young red-headed girl didn't want to waste her energy on these morons any longer. Ginny wanted to try and follow Harry into his dorm room, but found the door to be locked. She was a little hurt but realized it was probably for the best. Ginny would most likely see him tomorrow in hopefully a much better mood. The young Weasley girl headed back down the stairs and went into her dorm room instead.

Harry was relieved that no one tried to follow him up the stairs. Or at least he thought no one did. Even if they tried, Harry placed the most powerful lock spell he could perform on the door. This would keep most people out for about an hour or two. Looking around the room, Harry started to get comfortable at first because he thought no one but him was inside. This changed however when he saw Ron Weasley on his bed not too far away. Things were going to get heated if Harry didn't try to fix things with Ron, but he knew an argument was going to happen regardless.

 _"_ _Ok. I can do this. If Ron comes around, then hopefully the others will too. However Ginny did warn me that he would be jealous. I have to make him see reason."_ thought Harry.

"Ron, I need to talk to you." said Harry.

"Get lost, Potter." Ron grunted in an angered voice.

 _"Yeah I expected that."_ Harry thought.

"I don't want to speak with someone who cheated to get into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. You're nothing but a prick!"

"So it's true then. You really do think I entered the tournament somehow don't you?" Harry asked.

"You bloody believe it! I can't believe you entered in the tournament and didn't let me, or anyone else, know about it! What kind of friend are you?" asked Ron.

"What kind of friend am I? Are you insane, Ron? I'm not going to say this again. I didn't put my name into that cup! Just like you, I was completely surprised that I was chosen for this damn tournament! Why don't you believe me?"

"Yeah right! I'm just supposed to believe that you didn't enter this tournament, and then somehow your name gets drawn? Kind of weird that you were chosen if you didn't put your name in!"

"I cannot believe this. I thought after everything you and I have been through together you would trust my word when I say I didn't do it. Now I am realizing what a huge mistake that was." said Harry.

"You know what Ron? You don't have any idea how lucky you are! You have a family that loves and cares for you, you grew up in this magical world, and you may not be wealthy, but you and your family make up for that in so many ways! If I could trade lives with you I would do so in a heartbeat!" Harry shouted.

"Oh come off your soapbox Harry! You've got everything you could ever want! Money that flows endlessly, al the fame you could ever want, and of course all the girls are beckoning at your call. There's no way you could ever want my life!" said Ron.

"You're mental you know that? If you really want my life so bad then take it! I'm done with being the damn Boy-Who-Lived!" shouted Harry.

"I was right about you from the beginning! You are just a glory hound who will use anyone to get what he wants! We are no longer friends you git!" yelled Ron.

"Fine! I don't want to be around a jealous bastard who is so thick headed that he can't see the truth anyways!"

Harry turned towards his bed, got in, closed his curtains, and then muttered a few silencing spells around it so no one would hear him scream to the top of his lungs. He then spent the next hour of so cursing all those who had accused him.

* * *

After fifteen minutes of hopping through various fireplaces, Moody was sure his coast was clear.

"Finally the last stop. Riddle Manor!" growled Moody.

The crazed ex-auror threw the floo powder into the fireplace and then disappeared in a flash. As he stepped out of the final fireplace, the agent could feel his insides beginning to turn once again. His face began bubbling and the pain incurring from the transformation seemed to be all too painful for the man to endure, but then again he was used to this kind of pain before.

As the transformation ended, the once crazed professor was gone and in his place, the Death Eater known as Barty Crouch Jr. took over.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the school?" said a voice from the shadows.

Crouch Jr. turned around to see the disgustingly vile Death Eater known as Peter Pettigrew coming down the stairs.

"Well if it isn't Wormtail. You should know that my presence is necessary from time to time in order to please the Dark Lord you idiot! I must speak with him immediately!" said Crouch Jr.

"That is impossible I'm afraid. The Dark Lord is indisposed and is not to be disturbed."

"I don't want to hear your sniveling excuses! I must see the Dark Lord at once!" Crouch Jr shouted.

"Fine. This way." said Wormtail.

The two Death Eaters went up the stairs of the old house and came to a door that was closed. Wormtail opened the door, and Barty Crouch Jr. went inside to speak with his master. As Crouch Jr. entered the room, he could see the small body that Voldemort currently possessed in a chair that was facing the fireplace. The Death Eater his master and the Dark Lord began to speak.

"Bartemous Crouch Jr. Why am I not surprised? I told Wormtail that I was not to be disturbed! What the hell are you doing here?" Voldemort screamed.

"My lord, please! I am coming with news about the Malfoy boy! I suspect he intends to ruin everything we are planning! We need to do something about this!" said Barty Crouch Jr.

"This had better be good, Crouch. Inform me of everything at once!" Voldemort exclaimed.

"Of course, my lord!"

"Before you start, perhaps this lesson teach you to not disturb me again! Wormtail! Punish him for me!" said Voldemort.

"At once, my Lord. _CRUCIO_!" shouted Wormtail.

The screams of Barty Crouch Jr. resonated throughout the Riddle House for several moments before the punishment was lifted. Voldemort watched in his chair the entire time with Nagini, his trusted snake, curled up next to him and laughed at the spectacle before him. After deciding to end the punishment, Voldemort turned his attention to the man in pain on the floor of his house. The Death Eater then began to explain to the Dark Lord what he had witnessed in the halls of Hogwarts.

"So the Malfoy boy decides to correspond with his father right after Potter was chosen? We must bring Lucius in here once he receives this letter!" Voldemort hissed.

"I agree completely, my Lord." said Barty Crouch Jr.

"You may leave, Crouch. Go back to Hogwarts now. I will send for you again when the time is right. You may even have the pleasure of torturing Lucius should I find anything treacherous in this little scheme!" said Voldemort.

"Thank you, my Lord. I am now, and forever will be your servant. I will carry out your word to the grave!" said Crouch Jr.

"See that you do. Now get out." Voldemort hissed once more.

"Yes, my lord."

Barty Crouch Jr. headed out of the room past Wormtail and went back to the fireplace once more. After pulling out the flask of Polyjuice potion from his pocket, he informed Wormtail that he would require more potion soon. Wormtail simply nodded as the Death Eater flooed away from the fireplace and back towards Hogwarts.

"Wormtail!" Voldemort screamed from above.

The pudgy Death Eater ran up the stairs and came straight to his master.

"Yes, my lord? What do you require?" asked Wormtail.

"We have work to do! There are things we must discuss in order to make our next move!" Voldemort hissed.


	3. Chapter 3: You May Proceed

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **What Happened Previously:** Harry is furious with the other Gryffindors when they think cheated to get into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Draco starts forming a plan to make Potter suffer after not being chosen as a champion. Voldemort learns of the treachery by the Malfoys, and plans some punishment for them.

 **LAST EDITED: 2/25/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: You May Proceed**

 _(Two days after Draco sends the letter to his Father)_

Inside the dark hallways of Malfoy Manor, was the Death Eater known as Lucius Malfoy. The man had just returned from a long day's work at the Ministry of Magic and headed towards the basement. Most of the influential visitors that were even considered to arrive in his home would not even see this portion of the manor because this was where his hidden secrets would remain. The door to the basement was swung open and the lord walked at a quickened pace down the stairs. The man arrived inside of the center of his extensive wine collection and found himself in front of the hidden passageway to the lower section of the basement.

After lighting his wand, Lucius continued on his way. The Lord of the manor pressed on the door to the passageway, and a dark hallway was exposed in front of his eyes. Lucius followed the long dark corridor until he came face to face with a dead end. Looking to the right, the wizard placed his right hand on a few of the bricks and then the dead end revealed one final hidden passage way that led deeper into the catacombs of the manor. A few twists and turns later, Lucius Malfoy was able to finally reach the end, and was looking forward to the night's festivities. A magically confined dungeon was in front of him. Inside the dungeon, a long line of confinement cells were laid out in a row. In each cell it contained a couple of mud-blooded wizards who had almost revealed incriminating evidence that suggested he was in fact a true Death Eater, and not just a imperious-cursed follower as he led the public to believe.

The gathered "friends" had been kept in the cells throughout the week. The ones who were imprisoned on Monday were the easiest to discover, while the final two were hardest to track down because of their somewhat successful methods of seclusion. These lower classed wizards were all shivering from the cold, and starving from the lack of food, but Malfoy gave them no pity.

"You should all be lucky that none of the other Death Eaters didn't get ahold of you. Most of them are not as sympathetic as I am. I know for instance that McNair would not waste killing you all in seconds, or even bother to keep you alive for this long. Now, get on your knees and thank me for my kindness you pathetic worms! _CRUCIO!_ " Lucius exclaimed.

The spell shot out to all of the wizards in the cells and the screams of the muggle-borns were like music to the sickened man's ears. The blonde haired miscreant continued his rounds of punishments on the blood traitors for another hour, before finally ending their lives with the _Avada Kedavra_ curse. Every single corpse was nothing more than a pile of rotting, bleeding flesh.

 _"That will teach those low lives to interfere with my career. I should speak to others in the Dark Lord's inner circle about any other possible leaks of our involvement. A_ _ll wizards will fear the Death Eaters once again, but we must conceal ourselves before the Dark Lord returns. There's not enough terror in the streets if you ask me."_ thought Lucius.

Malfoy Senior then turned towards a dark cabinet in the back of the dungeon and opened it. Inside was a spare Death Eater robe, mask, several deadly poisons, and daggers that were used years ago before the Dark Lord vanished.

"Soon ... Very soon." said Lucius out loud to himself. "We will finally have the perfect world. We will be free of those who are not pure-blooded, or even in the noble house of Salazar Slytherin. I only hope my contributions have not gone unnoticed, by the Dark Lord."

Realizing that there was nothing else to do in the dungeons, Lucius closed the cabinet and made his way back up from the depths of the manor. Each door was closed and Lucius finally arrived back into the main hallway of the Manor. The man headed into his study where the family owl was waiting for him with a message in tow. The owl did not fly off so Malfoy assumed that the bird was waiting for a response.

After taking the letter, and reading it thoroughly, Lucius become disappointed in his pathetic excuse for a son once again.

 _"Of course this was related to what I mentioned earlier! Imbecile. How could Draco be so foolish to include this in a letter? It could have been discovered by someone accidentally! If things had gone bad, then someone may have connected the dots and taken action against our cause. Sometimes I wonder if Draco and I are even related at all."_ Lucius embarrassingly thought.

In regards to the comment about Draco being a better selected champion, Lucius scoffed. Draco was nothing more than a step above being a squib in his eyes, so even competing in this tournament would surely cause death to his son. Actually, he would absolutely pay to see that.

There was no more time to ponder on "what-ifs", however, because there was still much work to be done. Lucius reached for a piece of parchment in his desk, and wrote a few sentences down.

* * *

 _Draco,_

 _I will meet with you on the 5th of November at 2:00 AM in the Slytherin Common Room._

 _Make sure you are alone. Do not act on your plan until we speak!_

 _Lucius_

* * *

"Fly swiftly." Lucius muttered to the owl near his desk.

After nodding his head, the bird took off and began it's journey back to the Hogwarts castle. Lucius Malfoy watched the owl take off from the Manor and then proceeded to work on some paperwork that was due soon for the Ministry.

Lucius was unaware however that Barty Crouch Jr. was watching him from the rafters of the manor and saw the owl take off. He used the killing curse upon the owl and retrieved the letter from the frozen beak. After reading the letter, Crouch used his own owl to continue the delivery of the message. Following this, Crouch immediately headed to Voldemort to deliver the news personally.

* * *

"So the Malfoy men are up to something. Interesting." Voldemort stated.

"Yes, my Lord. I know he is a willing Death Eater, but we must act swiftly after Lucius talks to his son. Perhaps then he'll be more inclined to talk if given the right persuasion." Crouch Jr. stated.

"I knew there was a reason why you were inducted as a Death Eater, Barty. You really are nothing like your father." Voldemort said whilst chuckling venomously.

"You honor me, my Lord. My father, of whom I share his pathetic name, was too weak to see your wisdom and instead decided to lock me up forever in Azkaban! I will make sure that he suffers dearly in your name before the tournament is through!" exclaimed Barty Crouch Jr.

"I have no doubt, my humble servant. Bring me Lucius after he speaks with his son. I want to punish my servant personally for this insolence!" hissed Voldemort.

"Yes, my Lord." Barty Crouch Jr. deviously said.

* * *

On the morning of November 4th, Draco Malfoy was eating breakfast inside the Great Hall when a letter came for him. The young man took the letter, said thanks to the owl, and then began reading his letter.

 _"Father has received my letter. Good. I must make sure that tonight's meeting is concealed from the other Slytherins. No one must know of this."_ thought Draco.

The blonde haired student then took out his wand and muttered _Incindio_ at the letter so that it would go up in flames. Crabbe and Goyle watched their friend destroy the letter and proceeded to give Malfoy some questioning looks.

"It was from Father." said Draco.

The two goons then shook off their concerns and went back to shoveling food into their mouths. Draco then noticed that Pansy Parkinson was eyeing him. The young Malfoy sent a scowl back at the girl and continued to eat his breakfast in silence.

 _"Foolish girl. She should learn not to stick her nose into other people's business."_ thought Draco.

* * *

Harry Potter was not having the greatest of mornings. It was only a few days ago that Harry had talked to his ex-best friend Ron Weasley, and had gotten nowhere. The next day, Harry was able to locate Hermione but was surprised that she believed his name was put into the goblet by his own doing. Harry went over what happened in his mind once again in order to recall what transpired between himself, and his once close friend.

* * *

 _The bushy haired girl had been avoiding him ever since Halloween night and it was starting to get on Harry's nerves. Thankfully Harry had been able to get Hermione alone one night in the Gryffindor Common Room after most people had gone to bed. If there was any chance at finding out what Miss Granger thought, the young Mr. Potter was having a difficult time trying to get her to listen to reason._

 _The second Hermione saw him, she attempted to flee the area as soon as possible. Harry was faster however, and cut her off from going to the girl's dorms._

 _"Hermione. We need to talk." Harry angrily muttered._

 _"I can't talk to you Harry."_

 _"You can't talk or won't talk Hermione?" Harry asked furiously._

 _"Both! You honestly expect me to believe that you didn't put your name in the goblet? You're insane, Harry! Do you have a death wish on you? Oh, wait, of course you do! This is what happens every year! Something dangerous is going on, you go after it, and then we all almost die! I expected better from you, but it seems that you want to throw caution to the wind once again and just get yourself killed in this bloody tournament!" Hermione exclaimed._

 _Harry was completely shocked after hearing this lunacy._

 _"I cannot believe I am hearing this from you, Hermione! You should know that I wouldn't even bother to try to enter the tournament! I was finally looking forward to a relaxing year at Hogwarts, but no! Of course someone tries to put me in another deathly situation just to make things difficult!" Harry angrily said._

 _Since doing the direct approach with Hermione was not working, Harry decided to try another way to get to the girl's senses. He walked a little closer to his friend and spoke to her in a calm tone._

 _"Hermione, please listen to me. You're one of my best friends, and even though you can be thick-headed sometimes, I still care for you. A lot. I don't want to lose our friendship over this. Can't you see that I would never do something so dangerous and foolish? All I wanted was to be normal, and getting selected for the tournament, is far from being normal."_

 _Hermione was beginning to see the honesty in Harry's words, but it all came crashing down at once. Even though she could see the logic in his appeal. Hermione was not one to admit she was wrong. So rather than taking some time to go over her thoughts, she instead decided to accuse him once again.._

 _"No. You're lying, Harry! I know you entered the tournament somehow and I will find out! Don't speak to me. Ever! I don't want to hear your lies about this any longer! Unless you can come to me, and admit you lied, then I have nothing to say to you!" shouted Hermione._

 _"You are really unbelievable, Hermione. I really considered you like the sister I never had. I cared about you and was always there for you! However now that I am in this situation, you show me your true colors. You don't deserve to be in Gryffindor at all! You're nothing but a coward!" Harry screeched._

 _"Leave me alone, Harry!" said Hermione as she got up and ran towards the stairs to the girls dormitories._

 _As Hermione was about to reach her room, she ran into Ginny Weasley who was coming down the stairs. Since Hermione was screaming like a banshee, Ginny wanted to go see what was going on._

 _"Stay away from him, Ginny. Harry is a psychopathic liar and will only drag you down!" Hermione shouted as she ran away before giving Ginny the chance to speak._

 _The young Weasley scowled at Hermione and then went down to the common room. Upon arriving, she saw the young Potter boy in question sitting on the couch by the fire. She nervously approached the couch and then sat right next to him. The anger was flowing off of Harry in waves, but Ginny had to try and talk to him anyways._

 _"Harry, are you okay?" asked Ginny._

 _"No! I'm NOT okay, Ginny!" shouted Harry._

 _He then turned towards Ginny and realized he took it out on her unintentionally. He didn't mean to yell at the red head and it was a horrible thing to do to someone who was only trying to help._

 _"Ginny, I'm sorry. I just got into an argument with Hermione and she doesn't believe that I didn't enter the tournament! I know you tried to warn me, but I didn't listen." Harry admitted._

 _Ginny would normally tell him off, but could see he was still upset by what happened, so she let it go._

 _"I don't understand what's gotten into her! Why is she being like this? You know what? I don't care anymore. Whatever the real reason is, I am done trying to help. I refuse being friends with your block headed brother and someone who I considered a sister until recently. I just wish they could understand what they're doing to me." Harry exclaimed._

 _Ginny continued to wait for Harry to speak again so that she wouldn't get interrupted once more. After waiting a few more moments, Ginny took her opportunity to speak._

 _"It's okay, Harry. I understand that you're upset and only wanted Hermione to understand. You_ _don't need to apologize to me." said Ginny._

 _Harry came closer towards Ginny and gave her a hug in response. He then whispered into her ear._

 _"That's where you're wrong. I'm so sorry for yelling at you. I apologize for even doing that at all. You're my only friend and don't deserve any flack from me. I promise to work on my anger. Okay? You're way too important for me to be mad at. Ever." said Harry._

 _Ginny blushed slightly after Harry let go of her. "Thanks Harry. You mean a lot to me too." said Ginny._

 _Feeling rather daring, Harry decided to do something important at this moment._

 _"Ginny? I need to ask you something." said Harry._

 _"Sure Harry. What is it?" asked Ginny._

 _"I uh … I was um … I was wondering if you wanted to … I would be honored if …" Harry tried to say but it sounded all mumbled._

 _"I'm sorry Harry. I didn't catch that."_

 _"I would be honored if I could escort you to Hogsmeade with me next weekend, Ginny. Will you go with me?" asked Harry._

 _Ginny gasped and nearly passed out from the excitement that filled her body all at once. Not trusting her own voice for a moment, Ginny nodded her head for a second and then spoke up._

 _"Of course I'll go with you, Harry. What brought this on?" asked Ginny_

 _Harry never liked being put on the spot, but he did want to express his feelings to Ginny whenever possible._

 _"Well … I um … I really like you Ginny." said Harry._

 _Ginny moved closer to Harry and said "I really like you too."_

 _The red haired girl then leaned forward and kissed Harry on the cheek. The young man then blushed a shade of Weasley red while the young woman was doing the very same thing. The two students spent a few hours talking to one another before heading to sleep._

* * *

 _S_ napping back into reality, Harry felt a little better after remembering the kiss Ginny had given him. The two of them were not together as boyfriend and girlfriend though, Harry hoped that would change soon. Of course he was looking forward to the upcoming date, but Harry promised to himself that he would talk to Ginny about their developing relationship after the first task was over. Feeling a little better, Harry got up from his seat in the Great Hall and started heading towards his first class. On his way out, Harry spotted Hermione and Ron talking to one another and had a scowl on his face.

 _"No don't think about them. Just focus on Ginny."_ thought Harry.

The young man continued on and tried to get the thought of his past friends out of his mind. Little did he know that they were actually speaking about him behind his back.

"Did you see Potter?" asked Ron.

"Yes. I just wish that boy would just admit that he lied! Honestly Ron what's gotten into him? I would accept his apology if he would just admit it, but instead he chooses not to! Why does he constantly have to prove himself?" asked Hermione.

"I've told you already Hermione. Harry is a glory hog and will take any chance he can to get all the fame and glory for himself. Honestly I wish we could have called him out on all this during our first year, but it's good that he is getting what he deserves!" said Ron.

"Yes it is surprisingly refreshing. I can't stand him Ron, and I just want to forget all about him right now." said Hermione.

With nothing else to say at the moment, the two continued eating in the Great Hall for a few moments more before Hermione spoke up.

"Ron, I have something to ask you. Do you like me?" asked Hermione.

"Of course I do Hermione. You're my friend." said Ron without hesitation.

"That's not what I meant, Ron. What I mean is do you like me as more than a friend?" asked Hermione.

If it were possible, Ron Weasley could have sworn his eyes bulged out of his sockets.

"Well … I uhh … That is … What? I don't know what you're talking about!" exclaimed Ron as he got up and ran out of the Great Hall leaving a distraught Hermione behind.

"Bloody fool." Hermione muttered under her breath in an annoyed tone.

She knew Ron was terrible about expressing his feelings, but this was just plain childish. The bushy haired girl would have to try harder to get Ron to admit his feelings, but for now she cast her issues aside and continued to eat by herself.

Across the Great Hall, Draco noticed the interaction between the mud-blood and weasel bean and couldn't help but laugh.

 _"Of course those idiots would have feelings for one another. It figures that blood traitors end up together. Not that it will matter in the end when the Dark Lord returns."_ thought Draco with a smug look upon him.

A second later, Draco came up with a brilliant idea that would not only hurt Potter, but may even cause some damage to the mud-blooded girl as well. Hopefully his father would approve later that evening.

* * *

At 1:50 AM that morning, Draco had been spending the past 20 minutes threatening the few Slytherins still awake to get out of the common room, had made sure the entrance to the Common Room was locked, and had even put up several _Muffliato_ charms and _Notice-Me-Not_ spells around the area.

Finally sure that no one would overhear him, Draco sat down on the couch and let out an exhausted gasp of air. Setting up this meeting with his father was a lot of work. A few minutes later, small green flames started to emerge from the fireplace and the head of Lucius Malfoy came into view.

"My time is short, Draco. What is your plan?" asked Lucius.

"Hello father. As I have already told you, Potter was chosen as a fourth champion for the Tri-Wizard tournament. I am unbelievably outraged that this pathetic excuse for a wizard was chosen. Does this have anything to do with what you have told me earlier this year?" asked Draco.

"Yes, Draco. Potter's selection was no mere coincidence and the idea was formulated by the Dark Lord himself. It also helps that Barty Crouch Jr. knows many ways to manipulate a vastly magical object like the Goblet of Fire. From there it was simple to get Potter entered in the tournament."

"Why is the Dark Lord allowing Crouch's son to infiltrate Hogwarts anyways?" Draco asked.

"I cannot reveal the Dark Lord's entire plan to you, Draco! However, I can say that Potter will meet his demise at the end of the tournament." said Lucius.

"What about before the end Father? It's possible that scar-head could come out of this tournament unscathed and more confident than ever!" said Draco.

"Are you questioning the Dark Lord's wisdom, Draco? To do so is to ask for death!" Lucius shouted.

"No father! I do not question the Dark Lord at all. I want Potter to suffer all the way through the tournament, not just in one task. Maybe some accidents will happen along the way that will cause the blood traitor to lose confidence and even possibly admit defeat before the tournament ends!" said Draco.

Lucius paused before answering again. He knew that this plan was a good idea, but was worried about the consequences of it possibly going wrong as well. Especially if it was in the hands of his less-than-impressive son.

"What did you have in mind? Remember that you cannot kill Potter because the Dark Lord needs him alive at the end, and, even if you were to kill him, I cannot get you out of that mess with the Ministry of Magic. My reach only extends so far Draco!" said Lucius.

"No father, my plan is not kill. I want to make him feel more vulnerable. If we were to take away the things he values most; those who he considers family, his sanity, and maybe even his damn courage, then the chances of Potter giving up would be immeasurable! Just think how broken we can make him father! He deserves this after the accusations he claimed that you put that diary into the Weaselette's cauldron!" shouted Draco.

Little did Draco know that Lucius was the one who in fact put the cursed diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron two years ago in Dragon Alley. The Malfoy senior was truly satisfied with those turn of events, even if his plan didn't work in the end. It was all about knocking the Weasley family down even further. Nothing more.

"I agree with your plan. We must however be cautious and the Dark Lord must hear about this at once! For now only gather those who you think can help you. I would suggest to gather followers from each house. If the group is only comprised of Slytherins then the chances of discovery are quite high. Once you have done so, owl me and we will formulate this plan together son. Do not tell them we intend to break him down for the Dark Lord!" said Lucius.

"Yes father, it will be done." said Draco.

"Good. We will speak again soon." said Lucius.

With that the Death Eater vanished from the flames and Malfoy was left to wonder about who could possibly help him take down Harry Potter.

 _"Perhaps I should start with the champions. One of them must want some harm to come to the muggle lover. If that doesn't work, then I can always try one of Potter's ex-friends. Everyone knows that they've had a falling out as of late. I can always try Weaselbean, but Granger may be a bit harder to persuade."_ thought Draco.

Feeling tired, Draco removed the charms and spells from the room and proceeded to go to sleep. He vowed he would start gathering loyal followers as soon as possible.

 _"Potter won't even know what hit him!"_ thought Draco as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy had just finished the conversation with his son when he heard the distinct popping sound of someone apparating into his home. Even though Malfoy tried to reach for his wand, the assailant was too quick and confined his body with a binding charm.

"You're coming with me, Malfoy. The Dark Lord wants to speak to you immediately!" said Barty Crouch Jr.

Lucius was shocked to see that man in his house and also chaining him up like some kind of common criminal.

 _"How dare he do this to me! Has this man gone mad?"_ thought Lucius.

A second later, Barty Crouch Jr. and Lucius Malfoy apparated to Riddle Manor with the corpse of Voldemort waiting in his usual seat on the upper floor.

Crouch Jr. slammed the door open and threw Lucius down on to the floor whilst also releasing the charms that were used to hold him in place. Wormtail turned away from his master so that the Dark Lord could get a good view as to what was taking place before him.

"Ah Lucius Malfoy. So good of you to come." hissed Voldemort as his suppressed grin turned into a sour frown almost immediately.

"I have heard some rumors that you and your son are planning something without my knowledge, Lucius. Explain yourself at once!"

"My Lord. I was going to come to you when the meeting with my son had concluded. Had it not been for his lunatic over here (he said while looking at Barty Crouch Jr.), then I would have been able to give you the explanation faster!" shouted Lucius.

"I will not stand for my own servants going behind my back without my consent! Wormtail! Punish this man immediately!" shouted Voldemort.

"With pleasure, my Lord. _CRUCIO!_ " said Wormtail.

The spell was inflicted on Malfoy for several minutes before the Dark Lord decided to end it. For good measure, Barty Crouch Jr. kicked the blonde Death Eater in the stomach a few times as well.

"Now tell me this scheme the two of you are planning before I really start to get angry!" Voldemort angrily hissed.

"Yes, my Lord. I will do so at once!" said Malfoy.

Lucius then started to detail the plan his son had come up with for the next ten minutes without being interrupted. When he was finished, Voldemort spoke once again.

"So the plan is to gather up a bunch of people from the other houses and have them cause harm to Potter before the tournament ends so that he will be more vulnerable once I meet him again in the graveyard?" asked Voldemort.

"Yes, my Lord. We have not discussed what kind of torture would be done to the boy, but I wanted to come to you first before we proceeded!" said Malfoy.

Voldemort stared into Lucius' eyes and gave him a stare that would cause anyone to fear for their lives.

"You may proceed, Lucius. The next time you decide to come up with something, however, come to me first!" shouted Voldemort with as much energy as he could muster.

"Yes, my Lord. Of course!" said Lucius.

"I will have Wormtail or Barty contact you with ideas of our own that we want Draco to enact while at Hogwarts. Now get out of my sight!" said Voldemort.

"Yes, my Lord." said Lucius.

The blonde Death Eater then apparated away back to Malfoy manor. He had trouble sleeping that night, because his thoughts were constantly going back to his master and the glare of death that shook his soul to the core.


	4. Chapter 4: Knowledge

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **What Happened Previously:** Lucius reaches out to Draco, but his treachery is discovered by Barty Crouch Jr. Lucius is then brought before the Dark Lord, and is punished severely, even though he and Draco are allowed to continue with their plans. Harry reminisces about his time spent with Ginny, and the falling out with Ron and Hermione.

 **LAST EDITED: 2/26/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Knowledge**

Harry Potter was becoming more agitated by the second, and for good reason. The students from all three schools were still either accusing him, or congratulating him, on getting selected for the tournament. It didn't matter wherever he went, because there was always someone nearby who had to speak their mind. It wouldn't be so bad if his friends were there to support him, but, unfortunately, his list of friends was only down to one. And she was not always available make Harry feel better.

Even though Harry did try to find comfort from his fellow professors, he could only receive so much. Some of them, like a certain greasy potions master for example, thought Harry did enter the tournament somehow and they refused to associate themselves with him. The others were indifferent because they refused to associate themselves with meaningless affairs that didn't concern them. Well except for one person. Hagrid did come to Harry a few days after his name was announced to profess his thoughts.

* * *

 _"_ _Harry, I need to speak to yer." Hagrid said._

 _"_ _What is it, Hagrid?" Harry asked with some hesitation._

 _"_ _I jerst wanted to talk to yeh about the tournament, Harry." said Hagrid._

 _Harry was dreading this. It seemed extremely likely that Hagrid didn't believe him either. Luckily he didn't have to think too long because the gentle half-giant spoke up._

 _"_ _I believe yer yah know? I never did believe yer put yer name in the goblet."_

 _Harry was astonished because he was so sure someone else was going to tell him off or congratulate him for what seemed to be the 50th time this week. Now it seems he misjudged Hagrid. Extremely._

 _"_ _Um. Thanks Hagrid. It's good to know that someone believes me." Harry said._

 _"_ _Yer welcome Harry. I know yer not allowed to ask a professer fer help, but i'll try to help if I can. I dun care if it gets me inter trouble."_

 _"_ _Thanks Hagrid. I really appreciate the help." Harry honestly admitted._

* * *

Hagrid was the only professor that even professed their belief in Harry Potter's innocence, which really confused the poor boy. He wasn't a bad student. He didn't even act out in class. Well ... Snape always had different thoughts about that. Why would any of these professors even think Harry could, or even would, enter his name into the goblet? It was just plain madness, and the fourth year Gryffindor student couldn't take it any more.

 _"It's not fair! I can't stand being around these people because t_ _hey'll never listen to reason! It only takes one person to voice their opinions, and then the rest fall like dominoes. It figures that once again I'm involved with something that tries to kill me, and then everyone turns on me like I'm some sort of pariah. It's just like the incident with the Chamber of Secrets when most of the school thought I was the Heir of Slytherin!"_ Harry thought.

Even though Harry was dealing with a massive amount of scrutiny, he had a much bigger problem on his hands. The young man had no idea what the first task of the tournament could possibly be. Even though Hagrid said he was going to help, the half giant not able to reveal anything because he honestly wouldn't know until it was a few days before the first task. The unfortunate event in question was coming up in less than two weeks, and the young Gryffindor was more stressed than ever. Thankfully he wasn't completely on his own. With Ginny's help, the two of them tried any sort of spell that seemed important in vacant classrooms at night.

Tonight's practice was in the charms classroom on the fourth floor that surprisingly never remained locked. In the past few days, whenever Harry questioned whether or not it would be a good idea to learn certain spells, the youngest Weasley would often retort by saying that anything right now is important. Harry normally agreed, but he didn't see the usefulness in the glamour charm, or the spell that makes all languages understandable. Harry shrugged it off however and proceeded to learn the spells regardless. They might be useful later on even if they had no use for this tournament.

What was odd to Harry though was just how knowledgeable Ginny seemed to be at teaching him spells. He wasn't complaining at all, but just a little confused. Some of the spells that the two tried to learn were at least 6th year and above, but Ginny never had any problem with performing any of them. Harry normally tried to forget about this feat because Ginny was his only source of help for the tournament, and his only friend, so he knew that any help he could get he would take.

Tonight was a little different though. Harry was immensely perplexed by Ginny's unexplainable talent when they decided to go over a brand new spell that he had never heard of before.

"Okay Harry. I think you've done really well with a lot of spells so far, but now we need to learn something that could very well save your life. We need to learn the Summoning Charm, _Accio_." Ginny said in a manner that reflected the other professors.

In order to see just how much Ginny knew, Harry feigned his intelligence.

"Ok the name alone does sound helpful. What does it do exactly?"

"It's a summoning charm, Harry. What do you think is going to happen?"

Harry merely shrugged his shoulders. Ginny sighed a little, but proceeded to inform him about the spell regardless.

"The summoning charm allows the user to summon an item that is far away into the user's hands. There is one problem with the spell. It requires a lot of concentration depending on how heavy it is. So the bigger the object, the harder it is to pull off. That's why we are going to practice on something extremely light so that way you can get the hang of it. Let's try it on some of these books." Ginny said.

Ginny then went to the other side of the room, gathered a few books from one of the nearby desks, and then put them on the large table in the back. She picked up a single book from the stack and held it close to her chest.

"Ok. Now in order to pull off the spell, you need to say the word _Accio,_ followed by the item you need summoned to you. In this case, I want you to summon the book I am holding, by saying _Accio book_. Got it?" Ginny asked.

Harry nodded and then tried to concentrate on what he was doing.

" _Accio book!_ " said Harry.

The book in Ginny's hands trembled a little bit but not much. Ginny shook her head and asked Harry to try again.

" _Accio book!_ " Harry said again. He thrusted his wand arm a little harder than the last. The book trembled even more than before, but the youngest Weasley was still able to hold on to it with not much effort on her part.

"Urgh! Why isn't it working? This is impossible!" Harry furiously asked.

Ginny then put down the book and went over to Harry. Instead of trying to correct him like Hermione normally would, or try explain thoroughly like any of the Hogwarts professors, Ginny had a different approach to handling practice work. She took Harry into a hug and asked him to close his eyes for a moment and just breathe. Harry did so and felt that the hug he was receiving made him feel incredibly relaxed. Then again it probably had something to do with the person who was giving him the hug in the first place. After a moment of clearing his head, Ginny let go and went back to her side of the room. She picked up the same book as before, and held it in place.

"Remember, Harry. Focus."

" _Accio_ _book!_ " Harry said for the third time but he was a lot calmer than before.

This time the book did fly out of the girl's hands and sped towards Harry so fast it knocked him off of his feet. Ginny laughed a little before going over to help her friend from off of the floor.

"I don't understand. Why did the book fly so fast this time, but barely move at all the other times?" Harry asked with some frustration.

"Isn't it obvious Harry?"

When Harry shook his head, Ginny continued her explanation.

"It's simple really. Since we have been getting you trained for the first task, I imagine that you've been stressed out about what this task could be. Am I right?" asked Ginny.

"Yes." said Harry. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"I thought so. Anyways when I gave you the hug it cleared away your thoughts and allowed you to perform the spell. Although I wouldn't put that much power behind it next time because the books are light and not far away."

Harry looked at Ginny and was perplexed.

"You know that makes a lot of sense. I really wish I had thought of that. I've just been so busy trying to figure this first task out that I haven't had time to stop and think. This could be anything! I wasn't even supposed to be in this damn thing, and I can't handle it! I'm nowhere near as experienced as the others." said Harry.

Ginny could see her friend shaking with rage and took him into another hug. She let him calm down for a few minutes and listened to his breathing slow down. When he was de-stressed enough, Ginny let go.

"Harry I understand. I can't imagine how hard this is for you, and I'm honestly glad I'm not in your shoes," Harry looked at the floor when Ginny said that. "but you're my friend and I said I would help you. In order for me to help however, you need to not get so stressed out and not give up either. Deal?"

"It's a deal, Ginny. I'm sorry I was frustrated." said Harry.

"Stop apologizing, Harry. It's fine. Let's just get back to practicing okay?" asked Ginny.

The two of them continued practicing the _Accio_ spell for the next hour. After their practicing was over, the two of them decided to call it quits for the night. Ginny was about to leave for dinner, when Harry stopped her.

"Ginny. Can you wait a second? I have something to ask you." Harry asked.

She nodded.

"I'm extremely grateful that you're helping me prepare, and I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me."

"You don't have to thank me, Harry, but thanks for saying so." Ginny said with a slight smile.

"You're welcome. But … I'm concerned about you Ginny. I remember two years ago your brothers mentioned you had some difficulty evenmastering the simplest of spells. Now here you are here two years later teaching me, a student year higher than you, about spells that are more reserved for the NEWT exams. To be honest, you should be in the tournament based on your magical growth alone. What's going on?" asked Harry.

Ginny didn't answer at first. She looked down to her feet and took a few moments to carefully think about what she was going to say.

"I had a feeling you would ask me this someday." she said. "Harry please don't be upset when I tell you this. I just need you to understand."

Harry didn't do anything except wait for the answer to his question.

"Two years ago when you saved me from the Chamber of Secrets, I noticed a few days after I went home, that I had knowledge and memories that weren't mine. They were Tom Riddle's. With his memories and knowledge in my head, I can see things in my dreams up until the end of his 6th year because that's when the diary was created. That also means that I know most, if not all, of the spells that he knew and I also contain some of the skills he has as well." Ginny said.

"Wow. That's awesome, Ginny."

The red haired girl wasn't as thrilled as Harry was however. The evidence was written all over her face.

"You mentioned that you also gained some of Tom's skills. What did you mean by that?" asked Harry.

"It's probably better if I show you."

She then grabbed her wand and then said the spell: _Serpensortia_. Instantly a snake emerged from Ginny's wand and fell to the floor. The reptile started moving venomously towards Harry.

 _"Stop! Obey me snake!"_ Ginny hissed in parseltongue.

The serpent turned to face its creator and nodded its head, then relaxed and curled up into itself on floor. Harry was startled a little from Ginny's ability as a parslemouth, but then realized that he was acting exactly like almost everyone in the school when they found out he was a parslemouth from two years ago.

"You're a parslemouth too? That's amazing, Ginny!" Harry exclaimed.

"You're the only one I've told. Please don't say anything, Harry. I can't go back to the way things were two years ago!" Ginny cried.

Harry held Ginny while she cried into his shirt.

"Ginny, there's nothing wrong with you. Please don't cry. I promise not to say anything, okay?" said Harry.

Ginny nodded and the last of her tears fell from her eyes.

"I'm sorry for crying. I've been dealing with this for two years now. I should be used to this! I must look like a mess." she said while refusing to look at him.

"Look at me, Ginny." said Harry.

Ginny slowly raised her eyes to his and felt comfortable once she saw his intense emerald eyes. Harry wiped the tears off of her face and then said:

"It's perfectly normal to get upset over something like this, Ginny. If you ever want to talk about what happened then please come to me. Okay?" asked Harry.

Ginny nodded and then smiled a little.

"You're wrong by the way." Harry smirked.

"About what?" asked Ginny.

"You're not a mess. You'll never be one to me. You're beautiful." said Harry. He then proceeded to move closer to Ginny without even realizing it.

"Really?" Ginny whispered. She too was moving closer to Harry and now their faces were extremely close to one another.

"Really." Harry whispered back. He then placed his lips on to hers and the two kissed for the first time. While it was short, and a little chaste, the two teenagers were both extremely pleased. Harry pulled away from Ginny slowly and stared into her beautiful brown eyes.

"That was nice."

"Yes it was. Can we do it again?" asked Ginny with a smirk.

Harry chuckled and then kissed her once again but this time the kiss lasted much longer. Their lips were starting to get swollen but neither one of them cared. After spending a few minutes kissing one another, they broke apart with huge grins on their faces.

"Wow. I never knew it could be like that, Harry." said an exasperated Ginny.

"Me neither, Ginny. That felt ... amazing. Really amazing actually."

"I agree completely."

Not wanting to get the situation out of control again without determining where they now stood, Harry spoke.

"Ginny. Will you be my girlfriend?" asked Harry who was almost shaking with fear with his heart in his throat.

Ginny's smile grew even larger and then pulled Harry's head to hers. She took control of him and proceeded to kiss him for what seemed like hours until they both came up for air.

"Well ... I guess that's a yes?" he asked.

"Of course you git!" she said back.

Harry's smile grew as wide as ever before he took his girlfriend in his arms and kissed her once more.

* * *

Ron Weasley was contemplating whether or not he had done the right thing while walking around the castle that night. He was asked by Draco Malfoy two days ago as to whether or not he would join this group of individuals who hate Potter and would get some much needed revenge on him. He called it the "Anti-Potter-League". Ron thought that joining the group was a good idea, because it would give him some much needed payback on Harry.

Replaying the events in his mind, Ron thought about everything Draco had said to him earlier.

* * *

 _(Two Days Ago)_

 _Ron was approached by Draco with an offer of creating a pact of individuals who despise Harry Potter and want to enact revenge on him in some way or form. Originally, Ron laughed and assumed Malfoy was just trying to get him in trouble by playing along with an elaborate charade. His mind soon changed though once Malfoy kept insisting that he join this significant group._ _Ron was slightly surprised that the slimy bastard known as Malfoy would even want to consider him, considering their past, but after thinking it over the whole thing made a lot of sense._

 _The thing that surprised the Weasley boy the most was which people were enlisted already in this group. In the days that Harry was "chosen" from the Goblet of Fire, several people had been approached by Malfoy. When Draco pulled out his recruitment list to show Ron who was involved, Ron's eyes bulged with shock. The group now was comprised of:_

 _Terry Boot from Ravenclaw_

 _Vincent Crabbe from Slytherin_

 _Gregory Goyle from Slytherin_

 _Cho Chang from Ravenclaw_

 _Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff_

 _"How in the world did you convince Cedric Diggory, to join this group of yours , Malfoy?" Ron asked._

 _"Simple, Weasel-Bean. Cedric was jealous that Harry took the spotlight away from him. I noticed that Diggory voiced his displeasure of Potter in public ever since the beginning. So I figured snagging him would be easy. Thankfully he said yes to my offer almost immediately!" Draco admitted._

 _"What about the other champions? Did you ask them as well?" asked Ron._

 _"I tried Fleur Delacour. Who wouldn't want someone who is part Veela on their side? I didn't reveal everything because she didn't like the idea. Regardless, I asked her to come with me and I Obliviated her. She doesn't remember a thing." said Draco._

 _"And Krum?" asked Ron._

 _"I won't ask him because I can't rely on him. Even though he may be as intelligent as a brick, and would really only useful in terms of brute strength, Karkaroff watches his every move. So I'd rather not deal with that sneering lunatic altogether. The group can survive without him, and Fleur, since we have Diggory. It would have been nice to get all three, but one is just as good." said Draco._

 _"How did you convince Cho and Terry? I wouldn't have imagined them even giving this a second thought!" said Ron._

 _"Terry was easy. He still thinks Pot-head is a Dark Wizard in the making because of the parsletongue incident a few years ago in the Dueling Club. He saw the duel between Potter and myself, and the incident with the snake made it seal the deal. Cho was a little bit more difficult. She claimed to have some feelings for Harry even though she was going out with Cedric. I almost withdrew my offer right then and there, but when I told her that Cedric was already in the group, she folded and joined. She really is quite fickle, but I hope she can be useful." said Draco._

 _"Why come to me at all, Malfoy? It seems you have a load of people already, and you don't even like me!"_

 _"You're right, Weasley. I don't like you. However I am trying to be civil with you because I know that this could be a great opportunity for the Weasley name to be important once more in the Wizarding World. Think about it. Potter's name will be dragged through the mud at some point, and you can say with confidence that you were one of the first people to stand against him. Don't you want the fame and power, Weasley?" asked Draco._

 _"You have no idea. Why does Potter get to have all of it for himself? I should have been in the tournament! I'm so much better than Harry ever will be!"_

 _"That is exactly why you need to join us Weasley! Think of all the things we could cause for Potter to let him know that he's not as important as people make him out to be!"_

 _"One last thing Malfoy. What about Hermione?" asked Ron._

 _"The mud ... I mean Granger? What about her?" Draco asked._

 _"Did you ever consider asking her?"_

 _"No. Why?"_

 _"I don't want her joining. She may be mad at Harry, but she will probably accept his apology for being a reckless glory hog if he ever comes around to it. Plus she may even tell Harry about what we're up to later on and that's something I don't want." Ron admitted._

 _"Well well. You're not as dumb as you look Weasel-Bean."_

 _Ron scowled at Malfoy and tried to not get too mad. Once he calmed down, he resumed talking to the Slytherin student._

 _"So what do we do now?" asked Ron._

 _"Simple. Just do your part, keep your mouth shut about it, and report anything about Harry that could be useful in trying to make his life miserable." Draco stated._

 _"Ok. Deal. Potter won't know what hit him!" Ron exclaimed a bit louder than intended._

 _"_ _Keep your voice down, Weasley!" Draco angrily whispered._

 _"Sorry. So when do we meet? What's our first move?" asked Ron._

 _"We will meet every three days in the Room of Requirement at 8 PM. Do you know where that is?"_

 _"The what?"_

 _Draco grumbled something unpleasant and then resumed speaking._

 _"Does no one know where this place is? It's simple even for you, Weasley. On the 7th floor, on the left side, is a wall that appears to be blocked off with a dead end. Just walk past it three times and think about what you want the room to transform into. Then the door will appear and you can walk right in. It's an undetectable room which also means any tracking spells on someone would also stop working for a period of time." said Draco._

 _"Ok. What do I need to think about in order to get in?" asked Ron._

 _"You'll think "I need to attend the meeting" and that's all." said Draco._

 _"Ok. That's doesn't sound too hard." said Ron._

 _"Yeah. Your little brain should be able to remember that, Weasley." Malfoy sneered._

 _"Whatever, Malfoy." said Ron._

 _The two boys then went their separate ways._

* * *

The first meeting would be taking place in tomorrow. Ron wanted to be useful for this group otherwise they may just _Obliviate_ him. If that happened, he wouldn't be able to get the much needed revenge on Potter that he so incredible desired. He did feel guilty about hiding this from Hermione, but Ron knew it was for the best. She may even be happy for him later on. Maybe.

Ron decided he had done enough thinking for tonight and would ponder over this later. He got up from the bench he was sitting on and started walking over to the Gryffindor Common Room. As he was about to start heading up the stairs, he noticed that his little sister was walking with someone.

 _"Who is she with? Wait. Is that Potter?"_ Ron thought.

The young man seethed at Harry for being friends with his own flesh and blood. He decided to follow them back to the common room and see what was happening. Even though Ron couldn't make out all the details of their conversation, he could hear Ginny laugh sometimes. That alone was enough to get him upset. Ron stopped just before the turn to the common room, when he saw Harry and Ginny kiss in front of the Fat Lady. That's when Ron's jaw fell to the floor.

 _"_ _WHAT!? So Potter and my sister are dating? This is outrageous! I'll have to tell the group about this!"_ thought Ron.

Ron watched as the young couple headed into the Gryffindor Common Room. He saw that they held hands and were looking at each other ... in that kind way. Ron shook off those disgusting thoughts while waiting a few minutes. He needed to make sure his sister, or Potter, didn't know that they were being followed. As he entered, Ron was relieved when Ginny and Harry didn't notice him in the common room and instead headed to the fourth year dormitory. On his way up, Ron passed by a third year and "accidentally" shoved him with his elbow. The kid then fell to the bottom of the stairs but Ron kept moving once he realized the kid was fine and went into his dormitory.

 _"It may not have been Potter, but it did feel good."_ thought Ron.

As he climbed into bed, Ron thought of all the ways he would tear Harry's limbs off for dating his sister while falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Draco was extremely pleased with himself. He had finally been able to convince Ron Weasley, the dumbest person of the entire Weasley clan, to join this group of his. The Slytherin couldn't wait to tell his father. Thankfully he didn't have to wait much longer because they would be having another conversation via floo tonight. After having taken care of the necessary precautions earlier, he knew it would only be a matter of time before his father's head appeared in the flames.

"Draco, what news do you have for me?" asked Lucius.

"I have a lot of news, father. I have gathered a small group together and it contains people from every house. I managed to get Cedric Diggory, Cho Chang, Terry Boot, Crabbe and Goyle, and get this, Ron Weasley. Potter's ex-best friend!" Draco exclaimed.

"Ex-best friend?"

"Yes, father. Weasel-Bean was jealous because of Potter getting chosen for the tournament instead of him."

"You've done well. Now that your group is assembled, I have news that will interest you in your goal. The Dark Lord has informed me through one of his sources that the first task of the tournament will consist of trying to take a golden egg from a deadly dragon. Make sure to use this information to your advantage, Draco. I want some harm to come to Potter in this first task." said Lucius.

Draco's eyes widened at the thought of dragons being allowed at Hogwarts but his thoughts were interrupted when his father began talking to him again.

"There's one condition to this plan, Draco. We cannot have the boy die. The Dark Lord is demanding Potter live until the end of the tournament."

"Why in the world would he want that, father? Potter is useless!"

"Are you questioning the wisdom of our lord, Draco? To do so will result in your death you foolish boy!"

"Sorry, father."

Lucius shrugged off his son's idiocy for the time being.

"Listen to me carefully Draco. I remember from my time at Hogwarts that there is a book in the restricted section about Dragons that will interest you. The book is called " _Dragons: The Know How of the Mythical Beasts"_. I want you to find it and read it thoroughly. I'm sure there will be something inside that will help you in exacting some revenge on Potter." said Lucius.

"Yes, father." said Draco.

"Good. I will speak to you again in a few days time. Remember. Do not fail in your mission, and don't kill Potter!" Lucius exclaimed.

Draco nodded and the head of his father vanished from sight.

 _"So dragons huh? That will definitely make things difficult for Scar-Head. I wonder what is so important in this book for me to find?"_ Draco thought.

The young Slytherin then took his leave from the common room. He headed to bed whilst thinking of Dragons chewing on the bones of the supposed "Chosen One", even though the Dark Lord wanted him alive. He chuckled to himself about what could happen in the fist task, and then fell asleep. Draco couldn't wait to tell his group about this huge discovery.


	5. Chapter 5: Distraction

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **What Happened Previously:** Harry and Ginny became a couple during their training for the first task. Ron joins a group formed by Draco Malfoy that is comprised of others who want to try and take down Harry. Draco uncovers information on what the first task will be.

 **LAST EDITED: 2/26/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Distraction**

On the morning of November 19th, Harry was sitting alone eating breakfast when he unexpectedly received mail from his owl, Hedwig, in the great hall. He had no idea who was trying to get ahold of him. Before he could open said letter, Hedwig screeched a little bit at Harry. She obviously wanted a treat for her long journey.

"Sorry Hedwig. Here's a treat for you."

Harry picked up two pieces of bacon and allowed her to nibble on them with ravenous hunger. Only moments passed and Hedwig was finished. The snowy bird took to the skies and flew out of the open windows. Now that his bird was gone, Harry had the opportunity to open his letter, but he was interrupted again by a gorgeous looking red-head who sat down next to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Good morning, Harry."

"Good morning." the boy said with a stupid grin on his face. His girlfriend rolled her eyes in response, but eventually laughed a little at her boyfriend's face.

"Hey why didn't you wait for me this morning? We could have gone to breakfast together."

"Well actually I asked a few of your dorm mates to wake you, but you threatened to hex them some time ago after they mistakenly woke you up once. Your dorm mates wisely decided not to wake you." said Harry.

"Oh. Well that makes sense. I'm sorry Harry. I'm not a morning person. I suggest you remember this because it's the only chance you'll get when it comes to waking me." said Ginny while winking at Harry.

"I'll try to keep that in mind, Weasley." Harry said while winking at her. He then gave her a short kiss which Ginny happily returned. After they broke apart, Ginny saw something in Harry's hand and spoke up.

"You got a letter? What does it say? Who's it from?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know. I haven't been able to open it yet. Do you want to read it with me?"

"Of course."

Harry brought out the letter and opened it. After skimming to the bottom, he saw that it was signed from Sirius Black, his godfather, and it was very lengthy in comparison to his previous letters. As Ginny skipped ahead to see who it was, her heart stopped and found it hard to breathe.

"Oh no! Harry! This is from Sirius Black! We have to turn this in to Dumbledore immediately!" exclaimed Ginny.

"Why?"

"WHY? Harry he's a murderer that's trying to kill you!"

Harry laughed a little at his girlfriend's antics.

"Now I understand. I forgot to tell you, Ginny. Sirius Black is innocent and is in fact my godfather. I promise to reveal the whole story later, but for now just trust me that he is not the one responsible for killing all those muggles or betraying my parents. Okay?" asked Harry.

"Okay. See to it that you do."

Ginny wasn't too happy to hear about Sirius Black responding to her boyfriend, but she decided to take his word for now and hear him out later. The two then read the letter in its entirety.

* * *

 _Harry,_

 _I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but this may be the last letter that I can send for a while. I must postpone the upcoming floo chat with you even though we did decide on it in your last letter._

 _I've been hunted ever since I was released from prison by the Ministry of Magic and Death Eaters alike. Apparently Voldemort's stooges want me dead. If I were to assist you in training, then it would be detrimental to their plans for their master to rule the world again. The only way I know this is because Wormtail can't keep his mouth shut around the other Death Eaters. Apparently he is good for something after all! It's simply too dangerous for me to show my face right now. Even to you. I hope you can understand._ _I'm not surprised that they'd pull a stunt like this. Someday this will be over and we can finally be a proper family just like I promised._

 _Please don't worry about me, Harry. I can get by these idiots pretty easily._

 _As for the tournament, I don't care what The Daily Prophet says. I know you didn't enter._ _That paper is full of lies and the real truth is almost never reported on. They could write that you're a centaur with fish eyes and most of the population would unfortunately believe it._ _You're too young for this tournament anyways and it would take a powerful wizard to deceive the goblet of fire. I know you're strong, but you don't have the necessary skills to pull something like that off._

 _I do know what your first task will be however. I want you to know that what I am about to tell you is absolutely serious (jokes aside)._

 _I was near the Dark Forest a few days ago while trying to temporarily hide from snatchers of all people. After staying inside a cave for a few days, I emerged to find that I was not too far from the entrance to the forest. In the clearing, I saw Charlie Weasley. He works in the dragon reserves in Romania and he was with a bunch of other dragon tamers on site. The tamers were transporting a vicious dragon known as the Hungarian Horntail to somewhere near Hagrid's hut. I'd strongly advise you to not go near that dragon. It is one of the deadliest creatures in existence and almost no one has survived an encounter with one. This beast also has spikes all over its body and the tail's swing can kill anyone instantly. In case you end up selected with that dragon, get away as fast as you can._

 _One of the tamers mentioned something about a golden egg that the champions must acquire whilst trying to avoid their dragons. This egg will be mixed in with other dragon eggs, that will be guarded from their mother. That's right, Harry. These dragons will be protecting their young, and any kind of supposed attack will cause them to go berserk. Please be careful, Harry._

 _There is one final thing I will say about your task. Try shooting the dragon in the eyes. That's one of their only weak spots. Don't bother with the skin because it's impervious to magic and can even reflect spells back at the wizard unless you use a unforgivable spell on it. Other than that, a good summoning charm always works wonders, but I would suggest using it on something extremely useful._

 _I must go now, Harry. I'll be there cheering you on as Padfoot even though you won't see me._

 _Good luck, Cub._

 _From,_

 _Sirius Black_

 _P.S. Give my full regards to Ron and Hermione. I'm sure they're doing their best to help you in all of this. I want you to rely on their support, and anyone else's that can help you._

* * *

After he finished reading the letter, Harry was full of emotions: rage, sadness, confusion, and most of all fear. He couldn't believe that his task was to gather an egg from a gigantic fire breathing dragon! What's worse was there was a really violent dragon that someone would have to face. The boy shuddered at the though of anyone facing a creature like that, least of all him.

Harry did feel somewhat sad because he wouldn't be able to see his godfather before the event. He knew it was safer to be better as an animagus than to bring Death Eaters to Hogwarts. The one thing that did cause some small amount of pain for Harry was that his godfather was always on the run. Being hunted like a wild animal was something that Sirius should never have gone through. The young man knew Sirius wasn't trying to hurt him, but the pain was finally settling in. The boy's body slumped for a moment and a few tears escaped his eyes.

"It's okay, Harry." Ginny told her boyfriend. She held on to him until he seemed a little better.

"I haven't met him, but I can tell your godfather really cares about you. You'll see him again, Harry. I promise."

"I know. He's the only family member I have left, Ginny. I can't imagine losing him." Harry said with some pain in his voice.

Neither one of them spoke for some time. Ginny let go of Harry after a few minutes and gently ruffled her boyfriend's hair. He turned to her and gave a saddening smirk.

"Do you want to talk about him some more? It may help you feel better to get these feelings out."

"Yeah. I do." Harry said while nodding his head a little. "But not here. Follow me."

Harry took Ginny's hand and took her to one of the nearby broom closets. Thankfully no one was nearby or they would have gotten the wrong impression.

"Harry if you wanted to have me all to yourself, why didn't you say so?" Ginny mischievously said in order to ease Harry's tension. Even though they were in darkness, Harry did smirk a little at her joke.

Ginny drew her wand and brightened up the room with a _Lumos_ spell. She waited patiently for Harry to begin. Harry breathed in a few deep breaths before he began to speak his mind about Sirius. Harry recalled the night that he actually met his godfather, and told Ginny everything about it. It was extremely heartening to hear that someone wanted him, and cared about his well being. Harry remembered that for one brief moment in his life, everything was perfect. But then everything came crashing down when Wormtail escaped. The damned rat got away thanks to the unfortunate incident of Remus Lupin turning into a werewolf. Sirius was still a convicted criminal and without Peter's body, there was nothing Harry could do to prove his innocence.

This wasn't the only thing bothering Harry. Harry gripped the letter so hard that his hands were shaking. Sirius's post script at the end of the letter further drove his anger towards Hermione and Ron up the wall.

 _"If only you knew what was really going on, Sirius. Then you'd see what kind of people Ron and Hermione really are."_ Harry angrily thought.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked.

A few seconds went by and Harry was still shaking with rage.

"Harry?" asked a concerned Ginny once again. This time he responded back.

"What? Oh. I'm sorry, Ginny. I didn't hear you." said Harry.

"It's okay. What's the matter? Is it the Death Eaters?"

"No it's ... it's nothing Ginny. Don't worry about it." said Harry.

Ginny was not going to take no for an answer from her boyfriend. She made him look towards her and said:

"Harry James Potter! If you want to continue to be in a relationship with me, then it will require you to be honest, and tell me if something is bothering you. Do you understand?" Ginny somewhat yelled at him.

Harry was shocked a little that Ginny was shouting, but then again he was acting like a prat so he decided to apologize for his behavior and tell his girlfriend what was bothering him.

"After reading the letter with Sirius praising Ron and Hermione at the end, it makes me realize that even though I can't stand them, I do miss them. They were my first ever friends. It was really hard for me to hear that they didn't believe me. I know that I should shrug this off, but it still hurts. I just expected them to believe me and when they didn't my world came crashing down. I should have been more careful and not trusted anyone to begin with."

"Even me?" Ginny asked.

Harry noticed that Ginny was on the verge of crying. He realized what he had said to her, and felt like a huge arse for saying such a thing.

"I didn't mean you, Ginny. Ever since the end of your first year, I promised you that I'd get to know you better. Now look at us. It's been two years, and you've become my best friend. I'm also pretty sure I know you like the back of my hand by now. The only thing I regret is not noticing how great you are until it was almost too late." exclaimed Harry.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry. You don't have to apologize for that."

"While I appreciate you saying that, I know that's not true. I'm still sorry, Ginny. But glad we became friends, and now, something more."

"You mean it?" asked Ginny.

"Yes of course." Harry truthfully said.

"Thank you., Harry. That means a lot." said Ginny. She then hugged him, gave him a peck on the cheek. Realizing they had been in the closet for a while, the two Gryffindors left. Even though breakfast was over, the two of them headed off to their next classes.

* * *

 _(Right before Harry and Ginny leave)_

Not too far away from the happy couple was Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Once again, they were irritated with their ex-best friend and his lifestyle choices.

"Seems your sister dug her claws into _him_ right away. Are you sure they're going out? I can't imagine anyone wanting to be with _him_ right now. Even if he is famous."

Hermione had stopped calling Harry by his first name about a week ago. She made up her mind that she would adamantly refuse to speak to Harry until he apologized.

"Yes, they're going out. I haven't had time to knock Harry's block off yet because I've been so busy. I'll make time for Harry's upbringing eventually." said Ron.

"That reminds me, Ron. Where do you go all the time? You're never in the common room anymore, and whenever you do show up you're extremely reserved or just go to bed. What are you doing?" asked Hermione.

Ron scowled at his friend before speaking.

"What I do is none of your damn business, Hermione! I am allowed to do things by myself you know! I don't need you hovering over me like a shadow all the time!" Ron angrily shouted.

"Don't take that tone of voice with me, Ronald! You've the one who's been acting strange lately and go off to do whatever! What's your problem anyways?" asked Hermione.

"It's none of your business, Granger. You can tell me what to do! You're not my girlfriend, or my parents, so I don't have to tell you anything!" Ron shouted.

"Fine then you ass! I guess that we're not friends anymore either! Come find me when you wake up and get your act together!" Hermione shouted back while she gathered her things and left the youngest male Weasley alone.

"FINE!" yelled Ron. Most of the great hall was able to hear that final outburst from him. Almost all eyes were on him now.

Looking somewhat embarrassed, Ron tried to go back to eating without looking at anyone, but quickly saw the eyes of Draco Malfoy. The Slytherin boy tilted his head to the door and indicated that he wished to speak with him outside. Ron knew he was going to be questioned by Malfoy. A few minutes went by and the great hall went back to normal even though most people were questioning what was going on with Ron at the time.

Ron got up from his table and went out from the great hall only to be intercepted by the Slytherin boy who was waiting for him behind the huge doors.

"What was that all about, Weasley? Did she find out about you?" Draco grunted. He grabbed Ron and the two were moving to find a vacant classroom.

"I didn't tell Granger anything, Malfoy! She got mad at me for being secretive! I swear I'm starting to find Granger less and less fun to hang out with!" exclaimed Ron.

Draco had to stop himself from laughing maniacally because everything was just going so well for him. Not only was the relationship between Harry, Hermione, and Ron strained, but now it seems that Ron and Hermione might have a falling out as well. The two young men finally came across an open classroom on the fifth floor and proceeded to talk.

"You need realize the seriousness of your actions, Weasley! We need to show Potter that he is more alone than he realizes! Now we can't very well do that if you keep drawing more attention to yourself. Or go and make your friends suspicious. You get that?" Malfoy shouted.

Ron gritted his teeth so hard while saying "yes" to the blonde haired git.

"Good. Now I need you to do something for me. Go steal Potter's tournament robes. I need to contaminate them before Potter goes to compete."

"I can't do that! For all I know, he could have taken my sister back to the common room and they would be watching me!"

"Then find Cedric Diggory to distract him, and then steal Potter's tournament robes you moron!"

"Can't we just do this later, Malfoy?"

"The task is in a few days and we have to contaminate his tournament gear before then! We are running out of time here! I want Potter's clothes brought to me tonight! We need time for the potion I made to be soaked into the fibers of his uniform. Now get those robes tonight or you can forget about your vendetta with Scar-Head!" shouted Malfoy.

"Fine." said Ron.

The two boys then nodded and went on their separate ways. Ron knew he had to get Harry's tournament gear from his bedroom without being seen, but to do that he would need a distraction.

Since breakfast was still happening in the great hall, Ron had some time to find Cedric and hopefully get him to play along with distracting Harry. The Weasley child headed that way immediately and began searching for Diggory, but was not able to find him at the Hufflepuff table. Looking around for anyone else in the group, Ron was disappointed to see Terry Boot gone and he couldn't go to Crabbe or Goyle because that would be overly suspicious. That left only one person available to talk to: Cho Chang.

 _"She'll do I guess."_ thought Ron.

"Hey Cho. Can I talk to you for a minute?" said Ron as he approached the girl at the Ravenclaw table.

"Sure." said Cho. The girl got up from the table while a bunch of her friends watched on questioningly. To them it seemed that Ron was trying to get Cho's attention in a romantic way somehow, but Cho could tell immediately that it was all about business. Ron left the great hall once again with the asian girl trailing behind him. This time the two of them walked farther away from the great hall and then headed down an empty corridor to talk.

"Ok Ron it's obvious that you need me to help you with your assignment before the first task. Look if we all want to get revenge on Harry then we have to stick to our assigned plans!" said Cho.

"I'm only asking for a distraction from either you or Cedric after dinner so that I can get Harry's tournament gear. Can you both help me with this?" asked Ron.

"Hmm. I think it would be better if Cedric was to provide the distraction so that way it will seem as if it was friendly advice given from one champion to another." said Cho.

"You know, that's not a bad idea. Will you be able to ask him for help before dinner?"

"I can arrange this. Just get those robes, and don't mess up!" Cho sneered as she walked away.

Ron was unsure if he made the right decision by asking Cho for help, but then again it would prove her loyalty to the group if she were to get Cedric involved in this little charade. Ron then started walking off to his next class.

* * *

 _(Right before dinner)_

Harry did not have a great time in divination class with Professor Trelawney. The old fraud once again predicted his death in a fashion most fowl by "the all seeing eye". Harry was heading down to the great hall for dinner thinking of the class he just previously finished.

 _"_ _How could I possibly eaten by a troll while finishing my Potions homework? The old bat obviously forgot that I took one down a few years ago with Ron and Hermione._ _Who would honestly believe any of this rubbish?_ _"_

Harry shuddered once again when thinking about his ex-friends but quickly shook it off and continued thinking.

 _"Besides if there was a troll around I wouldn't stick around just to finish my homework for that greasy black haired git."_

Harry was interrupted in his thoughts when he heard his name being called from across the hall.

"Harry!"

Harry turned around to see the Hogwarts Champion call out for him. Harry groaned a little when he realized who it was, but decided to see what he wanted regardless.

 _"Maybe he just wants to talk about the tournament?"_ Harry thought while seeing the other champion to talk to him.

"Harry I'm glad I've caught you. I wanted to say that I'm sorry for being a little jealous when your name was called after me. It was rude and uncalled for. I hope you can forgive me, and we can try to work together." said Cedric.

Even though the Hufflepuff was lying, he had to make it at least sound sincere in order for Harry to believe him during the distraction later on.

"Thanks, Cedric. That means a lot." Harry said.

Harry was shocked that Diggory was in fact apologizing for his rudeness instead of trying to rub it in that he didn't have a chance in this tournament like so many others had done to him already.

"You're welcome Harry. Hey in order for me to make it up to you, I wanted to give you some advice about the first task. That is, if you're willing to accept it?" asked Cedric.

"Are you kidding? I'll take any help I can get! What is it?"

 _"Good. I've got him interested. Now to see if he'll take my bait."_ thought Cedric.

"I'd rather not discuss it now Harry. When I am done with dinner, I will wait for you outside the great hall and then we can talk about it around the grounds. That way, Fleur and Viktor couldn't possibly overhear. That okay with you?" asked Cedric.

"Sure. That sounds fine."

"Excellent! Find me later after dinner!" said Cedric.

Harry nodded and then turned away from the Hufflepuff champion to find his girlfriend. He couldn't believe that another champion was planning on helping him with the tournament. Since the whole tournament was designed to bring other schools together, he guessed it made some sense for a little bit of comradery. Harry shrugged off his concerns and sat down next to his girlfriend at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey stranger. Long time no see." Ginny said while winking at Harry.

"It's been too long honestly. I'm really glad you're here."

"Bad day?"

"Not entirely. Divination was extremely aggravating, though."

"Oh Godric. I should have guessed. In what sort of horrible manner did she predict your death this time?"

"Oh it was truly terrible, Ginny. It turns out I'll be killed by a troll while doing my potions homework."

Ginny couldn't hold in her laughter after hearing that. Harry soon joined her in laughing about the audacity of him dying like that. After calming down, Harry did mention that he ran into Cedric Diggory before meeting her.

"What did Cedric want?" asked Ginny.

"Actually he apologized for not believing me when I said I didn't enter. Then he told me he wants to give me some advice before the first task." said a still surprised Harry.

Ginny stared at her boyfriend with a concerned look on her face.

"I don't trust him Harry. He wasn't very nice to you over the last few weeks. Do you also remember what happened at the weighing of the wands ceremony?" asked Ginny.

Harry sighed and nodded. He knew that Ginny would probably bring this up again. During the group photo of all the champions, Harry could hear Cedric groan when he had to stand next to the young Gryffindor Champion. When the photo was over and that horrible news reporter, Rita Skeeter, took Harry into the nearby broom closet for a private interview, Harry could hear Cedric say something not too pleasant about Harry being chosen to go first.

"Yes. I remember. I doubt he would try to sabotage me considering that there is extra security on the grounds ever since my name was drawn from the cup. I'll keep my wits about me. Thanks Ginny for caring."

"Anytime Harry. Anytime." said Ginny with a smirk that could only read as _"See? This is why you should listen to me"_.

Harry laughed at his girlfriend and then proceeded to eat his dinner. All too soon dinner ended and the raven haired teenager tried to bid his girlfriend goodbye to meet Cedric.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come? I just don't feel comfortable about this, Harry."

"Ginny I'll be fine. There's no way he could do something to me anyways because, like I said earlier, there is security everywhere. Doing some harm to me would cost him his spot in the tournament." said Harry.

He could still tell that Ginny was worried about him, so Harry decided to say one last thing.

"If it makes you feel better, Ginny, I wouldn't mind having another set of eyes watching my back. You could follow us while we go talk. Is that okay with you?"

Ginny beamed with happiness at her boyfriend for thinking of her concerns. She kissed him rather passionately for about a minute before needing to come up for air.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" asked a happy but confused Harry.

"That, Mr. Potter, was for being a very thoughtful and wonderful boyfriend. You considered my feelings when you could have just as easily dismissed them and went off with Cedric. This proves to me that you are a gentleman in every sense of the word. I'm proud to be your girlfriend." said Ginny.

As Harry listened to Ginny, he began blushing with each passing second and starting feeling more and more confident in his dating experience. Fortunately, Ginny was always there to bring him back down to Earth.

"Just because I said something nice to you, Potter, doesn't mean I'm stroking your ego. I'm just simply informing you that you did something acceptable." Ginny said as she winked at Harry.

Harry gave her a small shove and then smirked when he saw his girlfriend getting all flustered. He then rose from his seat and extended his hand to Ginny to help her up. She gladly took his hand but then smacked him across the arm and muttered "prat" under her breath. Harry then walked a little fast away from Ginny and proceeded to go after Cedric. Fortunately he did not have to look very hard because the older student was waiting for him outside the doors of the great hall.

"There you are, Harry." said Cedric. "Come on. Let's go somewhere more private."

Harry nodded and began following the Hufflepuff student outside the castle. Cedric was leading Harry out towards the forest.

 _"I hope Ginny is still following us."_ thought an anxious Harry.

The black haired teenager was about to question where they were going when the Hufflepuff Champion decided to stop only a few feet away from Hagrid's hut. Cedric turned around and began speaking.

"So Harry. I want to start off by asking if you know what the first task will be, otherwise, I'll just be wasting your time by telling you what you already know." exclaimed Cedric.

"Its got something to do with dragons. We need to gather a golden egg from each one we are assigned within a short time. Is that what you heard?" asked Harry.

"Well actually I only heard about the dragons from one of my friends in the dragon reserves in Romania. I had no idea about the egg, but thanks for that tidbit." said Cedric.

"Oh." said Harry. So far this "help" was not going well.

"Well anyways, I wanted to give you some advice for taking care of dragons. You see, most people think that the skin is impenetrable, but that's not entirely true. It turns out you can stun their wings, on the underside of course, and it will cause minor paralysis throughout the dragon's body." said Cedric.

"Wow. I didn't know that. Thanks for the information! Do you have any more advice?" asked Harry.

The Hufflepuff student was lying through his teeth about the dragon wings, but he had to make it sound as convincing as possible for Harry to believe it. Wanting to test the waters again, Cedric came up with another lie.

"Have you ever considered using smokescreen spells?" asked Cedric. When Harry shook his head, the older student continued.

"You see, Harry, dragons will follow anything that is moving frantically. If the dragon was blinded by smokescreen, then it would be incapable of seeing and you'd be able to get a one up on the dragon."

Again this was a lie. Cedric knew that dragons could easily see through smokescreen as they breathed fire and often caused smoke in the process. Their eyes would have adjusted to the smoke over the years, and could see through the clouds of smoke.

"That does make a good point. I guess trying to distract the creature is better than fighting it. Got anything else I should consider?" Harry asked.

"Well I know you're a good flyer. If I were you, I'd stick to what I know best. Just fly out of there on your broomstick." said Cedric.

He wasn't lying this time. Cedric knew Harry was a great seeker and would be stupid to ignore this fact.

"True. I hadn't really considered that, but thanks for the suggestion." said Harry.

After a short pause, he continued speaking.

"I really appreciate you helping me, Cedric. It really means a lot." said Harry.

"No problem. Now let's get back to the castle before people think we've run off together." said Cedric.

Harry laughed at the boy's statement and began walking back with him.

Across the way, Ginny was still spying on Harry and Cedric's meeting and was pleased that nothing sinister came out of this.

 _"You may have helped my Harry this time, Cedric.I'm still going to be watching you and I still don't trust you yet."_ thought Ginny.

The red headed girl then waited for the two boys to head out of sight and then followed her boyfriend in tow.

* * *

 _(Right after Harry, Cedric, and Ginny left the great hall)_

 _"Time to go."_ Ron thought.

The boy shoveled the rest of his dinner in his mouth (this was his third serving by the way) and then somehow ran all the way to Gryffindor tower without collapsing or wanting to throw up. Now all that was left to do was to sneak into the fourth year dorm, grab Harry's tournament gear, and then run back to Malfoy. Easy. Right? Well it turns out it was. Ron grabbed Harry's things as he entered the empty dorm room and didn't bother closing anything so that he could get there faster in order to not make Malfoy angry with him. He didn't realize, however, that by not putting things back they way they were, Harry would become suspicious of what happened.

In record time, Ron found himself back outside the great hall with no sign of Harry, Ginny, or Cedric. He was thankful that not many people were left in the great hall so they didn't pay attention to him outside the hall doors.

 _"Phew. That was close. I hope I can still get dessert."_ thought Ron.

"Weasley! Over here!" Draco exclaimed.

Draco waited for the "Weasel-bean" to start following him and then the two took off towards the Slytherin dungeons. When they were a safe distance away from everyone, and inside a broom closet no less, Draco ordered Ron to hand over the tournament gear and then make himself scarce. Ron was about to leave before something donned on him.

"Hold on, Malfoy. You never told us what this potion was going to do. What's going to happen to Potter?" asked Ron.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Weasley. You have done a great thing by giving providing these tournament robes to me. Now that we have them, Potter won't stand a chance in the first task. Now scram before anyone else sees us!"

Ron obeyed this time and hurried back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He knew that dessert was well over by now and had unfortunately missed out. Thankfully he still had five chocolate frogs or so in his room so the youngest male Weasley wasn't too upset.

* * *

 _(When Harry and Cedric are walking back to the castle with Ginny not too far behind)_

"Thanks again, Cedric. I promise to return the favor for the second task. I'll let you know anything that I find out." said Harry.

"I appreciate that. Thanks, Harry." said Cedric.

The two boys continued to talk about the tournament some more before reaching the entrance to the castle. Once inside Hogwarts, Cedric took his leave to find Cho while Harry stayed behind to wait for Ginny. As soon as the red haired girl appeared, Harry immediately headed over with a sort of smugness upon him.

"See? I told you Cedric wants to help." said Harry.

Ginny rolled her eyes and smacked Harry across the arm a few times to keep him in check.

"Don't rub it in you prat. I know I was wrong, but that doesn't mean I won't keep watching out for you. Ok?"

"Yes, Ginny. Now that the meeting with Cedric is over, how about we "train" for the first task?" Harry asked while putting emphasis on the word "train" to his girlfriend.

"What are you up to, Mr. Potter? Trying to get me alone in a classroom are you?" asked Ginny while smirking and raising one eyebrow.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Weasley." Harry said.

After a few moments he started chuckling and then led his girlfriend over to a nearby classroom in order to "practice".

* * *

 _(After Draco receives the tournament outfit from Ron)_

 _"Finally that Weasel-bean is good for something. I can't wait until this tournament is over, then I can go back to trying to make his life miserable."_ thought Draco while heading into the Slytherin Common Room.

Once he was inside the dungeons, Draco headed immediately to his bed and began transfiguring Harry's outfit into something raggedy so no one would realize what he was tampering with. With the disguise on the clothes now in place, Draco set them on the bed and searched through his trunk for the deadly potion. After digging for several minutes, the boy remembered that he had actually stuck it underneath his bed and then pulled it out on top of the bed.

With the item in his possession, Draco then carried it out of the Slytherin Common Room and headed to the prefect bathroom on the fifth floor. Thankfully the password was the same as his father remembered from back in his old days in Hogwarts. The password had not been changed for decades.

"Pine Fresh" Draco said as he approached the door to the bathroom. The door opened and the blonde haired boy slipped inside. As Draco threw the clothes on the ground, he locked the door with a series of advanced locking charms. He also placed a few silencing charms on the door as well. Once he was positive he was alone, Draco turned on the water and opened the bottle that carried the potion.

Draco dumped the entire potion into the water and began watching as the water changed to a sickeningly green hue. The water was having a violent chemical reaction to the chemical mixture, and was bubbling out of control. Realizing that this may get out of control, Draco placed a containment spell on the bath tub and, even though the water was still gurgling, it was now safe enough to proceed with the next part of his plan. However he was interrupted by someone he never saw coming.

"What are you doing here? You're not a prefect! Get out of the bathroom now!" Moaning Myrtle exclaimed.

"Silence you worthless ghost! _AVADA KEDAVRA!_ " Draco shouted as soon as he drew his wand.

Immediately a green colored spell erupted from the wand and blasted the dead girl to thousands of ecto-particles. However once the ghost was finally gone, Draco realized that casting an Unforgivable Curse in the school would set off several wards in place. He would only have a few minutes before he would be discovered. Draco grabbed the tournament clothes and temporarily released the containment spell on the bathtub, threw the clothes inside, then contained the bathtub once more. Now that the next step was done, the blonde boy quickly released all wards in place on the door and ran out as fast as he could.

"Malfoy!" Growled a voice.

Draco's eyes grew to the size of saucers and turned around extremely slow to avoid the voice of one of his professors. He was doomed and he knew it.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here, Malfoy? You always seem to be in the worst places at the worst time." Mad-Eye Moody stated.

A wave of relief fell upon Draco because he knew that he was safe with a fellow Death Eater around. He was now really thankful that his father had relayed the information about Barty Crouch Jr. to him earlier.

"I need you to cover for me! I'll explain once I'm in the clear!" stated Draco.

The "crippled" agent nodded and then turned his head to the group of Professors that were heading their way.

"Mr. Malfoy? Professor Moody? What is the meaning of this? We received an alert that an Unforgivable Curse was cast right in this area! What is going on?" asked a very concerned Professor McGonagall.

"There's nothing to be concerned with, Minerva. I casted the curse, and Malfoy happened to have seen me use it." said Moody.

"What on earth caused you to use an unforgivable, Moody?" asked Professor Sprout.

"I found a giant spider and got rid of the vermin permanently. I hate those disgusting creatures!" Moody growled.

"But using an unforgivable, Alastor? What were you thinking?" asked McGonagall once again.

"I use it all the time around my house so it felt no different using it here." said Moody.

"Well I am certainly glad that no one was hurt. Next time Alastor just use your foot! Honestly! It's just a spider!" said McGonagall.

"I'll try to remember that. Now move on the lot of yah!" Moody exclaimed.

The two professors nodded and then turned away from the two men. Once they were out of view, Moody spoke to Draco.

"Ok boy. You have two seconds to explain before I throw you to the wolves myself. What caused you to use an unforgivable in the school? Are you brainless?" asked Moody.

"I was discovered trying to contaminate Potter's tournament gear by that Moaning Myrtle ghost, so I used the killing curse on her." Draco muttered.

"So the gear is brewing now?" Moody asked with some annoyance to Draco.

"Yes Crouch." Draco angrily muttered.

The Death Eater slapped Draco across the face.

"Don't call me that here you little ferret! The walls have ears you know! Your stupidity will jeopardize the Dark Lord's plans! Don't mess up again! I cannot keep covering up your bonehead mistakes!"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now get out of here and don't come out of the dungeons for the rest of the night. I'll place a misdirection charm on the bathroom so no one comes in. Be sure that Potter has his gear back before he starts the first task!"

Draco nodded and then walked away from the Death Eater. Barty Crouch Jr. then began muttering several misdirection charms on the Prefect Bathrooms so no one would come in. The disguised Death Eater then took his leave and settled in for the night.


	6. Chapter 6: The First Task

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **What Happened Previously:** Harry and Ginny receive a letter from Sirius Black. Ron steals Harry's tournament gear and hands it over to Draco. Draco contaminates the gear in a modified potion. Barty Crouch Jr. catches Draco in the act and covers flor him when the young Malfoy uses an unforgivable curse on a ghost.

 **LAST EDITED: 3/1/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The First Task**

This was it. The day that Harry had been dreading for almost a month had finally arrived. Today was the beginning of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and Harry, understandably, was scared of going up against a dragon. For Godric's sake he was only 14. Who wouldn't be scared to go up against a fire-breathing dragon? Ever since he woke early that morning, Harry felt that every bit of training he had gone through with his girlfriend was nowhere near enough.

But that wasn't the only thing that was bothering him. Harry was becoming paranoid that someone was trying to sabotage his attempt at the first task. The young man's suspicions started a few days ago when he was unable to find his tournament gear in his closet, and then without warning, they returned last night as if nothing had happened. On top of that, Harry felt that people were whispering more often than normal whenever he was near. Hell even bigots like Malfoy seemed more reserved than normal and didn't bother Harry as much. He could never prove it of course, but considering he received the same treatment over two years ago with the events of the Chamber of Secrets, and the breakout of Sirius Black from Azkaban the previous year, Harry often became the subject of debate amongst his peers.

It was becoming increasingly annoying for the young Gryffindor.

Realizing that staying in bed would not solve anything, Harry started to get ready for the day. Thankfully none of his other dorm mates were awake yet. He was especially grateful that Ron Weasley, his ex-best friend, was snoring like a gorilla. Today was going to be stressful enough without his constant prejudice against him. After showering, getting dressed, and taking several deep breaths, Harry made it out of the fourth year dorms and started heading down the stairs.

Ginny Weasley was already downstairs and waiting for Harry. Over the past few days, she was becoming more irritated at Harry because he seemed more worried that something bad was going to happen. She knew it wasn't his fault because she would feel the exact same way. Today however was not the best time to be worried. Ginny had to do something to get her boyfriend focused, lest he lose his head.

"Harry Potter!" Ginny Weasley said while her boyfriend headed down the stairs. She had her arms crossed and was looking none too pleased.

Harry stopped in his tracks when he saw her. He hadn't been dating Ginny for long, but he knew when his girlfriend was upset. This was one of those times. Harry tried his best to not freak out every single day, but he could tell that even though Ginny was trying to be there for him, it was starting to irritate her because he wasn't listening to her. The young Weasley girl knew how to deal with stress thanks to her unfortunate ordeal two years earlier. She had seen a professional healer about for a year, and during that time she got a lot of help to push the memories from her mind and finally relax.

"Hey, Ginny."

"You can't keep worrying yourself about the first task, Harry! You're a nervous wreck! Look at yourself!" Ginny exclaimed while ignoring his greeting.

She was right of course. He knew that, but he couldn't help it.

"I need you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. I know you're scared, I know you're worried about the tournament, and Sirius' well being, and people are constantly giving you crap about getting chosen. But you need to stop. All this stress is going to kill you, Harry. We just got together, and I can't bare seeing you worry yourself to death. Just please, listen to me. I'm here for you. I can help, but I need you to listen. Okay?"

"I know Ginny. Believe me I know. I just want this tournament to be over. I don't even really know why I'm freaking out. Your de-stressing techniques have helped me, but I constantly come back to worrying. I guess I'm scared about the task today. I really don't want to die. The tournament officials should have safety measures in place to keep us from dying right?"

"Yes of course. Even though you were entered under suspicious circumstances, it doesn't mean that they won't keep you or the other champions from harm." Ginny said while stating with the most serious face she could muster. She didn't know what to tell to her boyfriend, but considering the fact that Harry was a nervous wreck and didn't need any more stress right now, it would have been best to not say anything bad at that moment in time to him.

Harry sighed a huge amount of relief before speaking. "Well I do feel a bit better. Thanks for smacking some sense in me, Ginny." said Harry as he smiled.

"No problem, Harry. Now come on. We have to get breakfast!" Ginny said as she gave Harry a hug and a kiss good morning.

Harry laughed a little and followed his ambitious girlfriend down to the Great Hall to breakfast.

* * *

Ron Weasley was not having the greatest of mornings either. Throughout the night, the youngest male Weasley was tossing and turning over the coming task that his ex-friend Harry was going to face that day. Even though he was still mad at Potter for entering the tournament, and now dating his baby sister without his permission, the thought of partnering with Draco Malfoy was constantly eating away at him and he wished he could have gone back and rejected the Slytherin student's offer. Sure the prospect of knocking Harry Potter down a peg sounded great at first, but he was allying himself with a boy who's father worships a mass murdering psychopath. Maybe if Ron had thought this through instead of saying yes to Draco immediately then he might have gotten revenge on Harry in his own way.

 _"_ _What in the world is going to happen today? When it comes to a git like Draco Malfoy, something bad always happens. Maybe I should warn Potter about this upcoming scheme."_ thought Ron.

The youngest Weasley never got the chance however, because once he headed down the stairs he caught the sight of his sister and Potter walking out of the Gryffindor Common Room. Once Ron witnessed that, he ultimately made his decision.

 _"_ _That's it. Potter can fry! I don't care if he is facing certain doom, he still can't date my baby sister!"_ thought Ron as he went back up the common room stairs to the fourth year dorms and try to get some more sleep before the first task started.

* * *

The time before the first task seemed to fly by way too fast for Harry's liking, but he promised Ginny that he would do his best to not freak out. Well he would do his best considering the fact he was about to face a threatening dragon in the very near future. The two teenagers took what precious time they had left to go over the spells that would help Harry in the first task. They found an open classroom and Ginny took the opportunity to quiz Harry on the spells they had been practicing.

"The bludgeoning curse?" asked Ginny.

"Yes I got it. _Bombarda_." said Harry

"Correct. The summoning charm?"

" _Accio_ , and then respond quickly with whatever I need summoned. Also before you ask, yes my broom is unlocked in my room and I will summon it if necessary." Harry confidently answered.

"My my. You may get through this task after all, Mr. Potter." Ginny said while winking at him.

"One tries Ms. Weasley when I have an amazing girlfriend such as you." Harry playfully answered back.

"Well thank you, but I'm not going to fall for your compliments Mr. Potter. I have a boyfriend and he's got the most amazing green eyes, dark raven hair, and is the most thoughtful person I've ever known. You can't measure up to him at all so I'm afraid we'll just have to be friends." Ginny stated while trying her hardest not to laugh.

After a few moments the two Gryffindors began hysterically laughing and then resumed naming off spells in order for Harry to use.

"I still don't see why I need to know the concealment charm Gin. There's no reason for me to change my appearance from the dragon, because it'll still want to barbecue me." Harry exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter, Potter. You need to know these things in case something should happen like, oh I don't know, you facing off against Tom again. This quizzing isn't just for today. It's for you to use beyond the tournament too. So quit complaining and tell me what the spell is called for the concealment charm." Ginny said.

"Ok ok fine. You make a good point. I believe the incantation is ..." Harry said before he was interrupted by the classroom door opening and a worried looking professor entered.

"There you are, Potter! The first task is about to begin. You need to come to the stadium this instant and begin preparations. The other champions are almost there so hurry up!" said Professor McGonagall.

Harry nodded grimly and took Ginny by the hand down to the grounds of Hogwarts. Along the way students were surprisingly supportive of Harry as if no teasing or ridicule had happened at all.

"Good luck, Harry!"

"Go and get first place, Potter!"

"Go Gryffindor go!"

 _"What cowards and two-faced people we have at Hogwarts._ _One minute they hate me for "stealing" the spotlight and the next they want me to do well. They're all spineless the lot of them!"_ thought Harry.

Ginny could sense her boyfriend's discomfort from all the " _supporters"_ at Hogwarts and tried to lead him away from all the attention, but it proved to be impossible as everyone was on their way to the stadium.

"Give em' hell, Harry!"

"I take it back, Harry! Dump your girlfriend and marry me!"

Okay that one stung a little. Harry was about to turn around and blast that girl with the bombarda curse and hopefully shatter her body in a million pieces. Azkaban be damned. The constant reminders that these idiots were only now supporting him was getting extremely old. Harry suddenly hoped he would face an army of annoying fans to kill instead.

"Don't worry, Harry. They're all going to realize what fools they've been and recognize that you didn't put your name in the cup. I know they'll wish they had believed you in the fist place." said Ginny.

Harry was appreciative of what his girlfriend had said, but didn't say anything in response. Unfortunately the pleasant moment was ruined thanks to a blonde haired slime ball in the Slytherin house.

"Well well if it isn't Potter, and the Weaselette. Are you scared Pot-head? Whatever happens in the first task is going to skin you alive! You won't survive the day!" said a confident Draco Malfoy.

"Back off Malfoy. I'm in no mood to deal with you today so if you want to receive hex after agonizing hex from me until your face explodes, then keep on it." Harry said threateningly.

Ginny was shocked to hear Harry say those things to Malfoy when she was normally the one to do so. It actually made her happy that he took Malfoy down a peg.

"Whatever Potter. I'll see you at your funeral!"

"Yeah and I'll piss on your grave at yours, Malfoy!"

"What was that all about, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"I just can't stand that prick! Also I am really on edge about the tournament and he wasn't helping." said Harry.

"Well I'm proud of you for not taking any crap from that greasy punk today. Now come on. I'll walk you over to the stadium." said Ginny.

The walk to the stadium was proving to be a quicker venture than previously thought by Harry and soon he would have to come face to face with a dragon. The tents were coming into view and unfortunately Ginny had to find her way into the stands to watch her boyfriend compete. Before she left, however, she turned around and gave Harry one last big hug.

"I know you can do this, Harry. Just please be cautious and come back to me in one piece. I care about you too much to see you hurt." Ginny tearfully said and then kissed him one last time.

The young Weasley had tried so hard to be strong for Harry the whole day, but now it was proving to be too much to bare because he would be thrown into certain doom in just a few moments.

"Thank you, Ginny. I promise I'll be careful. I'll come back to you and we will spend the rest of the day together just you and me. Okay?" Harry asked.

"I'd love that." Ginny beamed even though she was crying a little.

Their moment ended when one of the tournament officials cried out that the champions had to enter the tent immediately. Harry could see Cedric and Krum already heading in, with Fleur not too far behind.

"I have to go now, Ginny. I'll use everything you taught me even though most of it is escaping me right now. I promise." said Harry.

Ginny laughed a bit at the last part. As Harry began walking away, Ginny cried even harder and started moving herself to the stands while trying to compose herself. The young Gryffindor champion then made his way to the competition tent with the other champions and judges already inside.

"Ah there you are, Mr. Potter. We were starting to get worried." Barty Crouch Sr. stated.

"Sorry sir. I only found out moments ago that I was supposed to go down to the champions tent." Harry honestly answered.

"No matter, Mr. Potter. We were just about to begin the first task. Champions please gather around me!"

The champions started to come towards the ministry official when they heard an unpleasant voice they all recognized.

"Harry Potter! How wonderful to see you! Care for another interview for _The Daily Prophet_?" Rita Skeeter asked.

Harry groaned a little inside at the sight of the reporter. After what happened last time, with Harry and Rita being trapped in a broom cupboard and she writing down whatever she wanted instead of what Harry quoted, the young man was not looking forward to seeing that woman again. Harry was thankful that everyone else in the tent seemed uncomfortable as well. Skeeter had a knack for stretching the truth and making anyone's reputation turn out bad if they got on her nerves. Just before Harry began to speak to say he was not interested, Dumbledore beat him to the punch.

"What are you doing here, Ms. Skeeter? This area is restricted to the champions and the judges only!" said a less than happy Dumbledore.

"I agree with Albus. You are not allowed here! Leave immediately!" said Karkaroff.

"I suggest you leave, Ms. Skeeter. This is an important matter regarding the Tri-Wizard tournament and the press are forbidden from entering this area!" Barty Crouch Sr. growled.

Rita Skeeter was none too pleased to be given the boot out of the tent, but followed along with the requests of the judges. She would have to try and corner Harry after the first task in order to get another interview with the Boy-Who-Lived. That or just turn into her beetle animagius form again. Realizing she didn't have a choice, the reporter left the tent. Following the run in with Rita Skeeter, everyone moved towards Crouch Sr. and Harry. Dumbledore, Madame Maxine, Ludo Bagman, and Igor Karkaroff joined in as well. When everyone was near, Crouch spoke once again.

"Now then champions. Your first task is to retrieve a golden egg from one of four very real dragons that are guarding it. This egg is important for it will provide an important clue for the second task of the tournament. In order to decide which dragon is assigned to what champion, and also determine what order you'll all be competing in, we must have you draw a miniature dragon out of this special bag right here." Crouch Sr. stated while holding his purple bag out in front of himself.

The ministry official then moved towards Fleur Delacour and allowed her to pick first. She then reached in, grabbed a dragon, and then showed it to Crouch Sr. The dragon was green and seemed to be a little friendly. Upon further inspection, Harry could see that there was a tag with a two around the dragon's neck.

"The Common Welsh Green. Interesting choice, Ms. Delacour. Mr. Krum, you're next!" said Crouch Sr.

After hearing which dragon she ended up picking, Fleur turned to Madame Maxine and the two of them began strategizing in French so that none of the other people in the tent would hear. Viktor Krum reached in the purple bag after being asked to by Barty Crouch Sr., grabbed a dragon, and then pulled it out. This time the dragon was red and had a bit of a temper about it. A number three was on the tag around its neck. Igor Karkaroff's expression was unreadable by the other contestants in the tent, but inside he was excited because his pupil could easily take on this dragon.

"The Chinese Firebolt. Oh that will be quite a challenge! Mr. Diggory, please choose the next dragon!"

Harry was becoming more and more nervous as the dragons were being selected. He knew there were two options left for what to pick. It was between the Hungarian Horntail, which he really didn't want to face off against, and then there was ...

"The Swedish Short Snout. I wish you luck, Mr. Diggory." said Barty Crouch Sr. This time Harry could see the number one on the tag around the dragons neck.

 _"Oh shit. I cannot believe my luck."_ Harry thought.

* * *

Cedric Diggory's face fell into shock after seeing the dragon that he pulled out from the bag. After hearing his name being called by the headmaster, Cedric was guided over to the corner by Dumbledore.

"Mr. Diggory, I want to assure you that facing a dragon should be nothing of great concern to you. I can tell that facing this dragon is causing you some distress, but ever since you came through Hogwarts' halls, all of the professors, myself included, have known that you were destined for great things. I'm sure you can find a way to defeat this dragon and come out unscathed." said Dumbledore.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. I am more nervous about going first however. I thought I would have more time to prepare." said Cedric.

"Ah. Going first is a blessing Mr. Diggory. While you may not be able to go a little later on, you will have the advantage of being unpredictable. The other champions may want to incorporate your strategy into theirs, and will result in their performance being less original. Besides I have always found that getting things done earlier makes the experience more enjoyable in the end." said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eyes.

Cedric pondered a moment before accepting Dumbledore's advice.

"I appreciate the talk, Professor Dumbledore. I think I can take on the dragon now." the Hufflepuff champion said.

The headmaster smiled at the Hufflepuff champion and made his way over to the other side of the tent.

* * *

Time seemed to stand still for Harry. The young man went into a short daze that allowed him to block out the rest of the world around him and concentrate. He knew that any second Barty Crouch Sr. would make him pick the dragon he feared so much after finding out about it from his godfather. On top of all that, he was going LAST. This would only further rack his nerves into nothingness.

 _"Why couldn't I have gone first? I'm dead meat. Anything would be better than ... "_ Harry thought but was snapped back to reality when Mr. Crouch spoke to him.

"Finally we come to you, Mr. Potter. Pick the last remaining dragon please!" said Crouch Sr.

Harry obeyed and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail from the bag. He tried his best to be shocked about it, but then again he was more nervous about facing the dragon instead of choosing it from the bag. If anyone was aware of his fake shocked expression Harry didn't notice or care.

"Oh my. You my boy must face the deadly Hungarian Horntail. I would recommend tweaking your strategy in case you are not as confident in your abilities." said Crouch Sr.

"Thanks." Harry grunted sarcastically.

He wasn't too upset for long because a voice seemed to catch his attention.

"Mr. Potter! Can I have a word with you for a moment?" asked Ludo Bagman.

Harry nodded and followed the other ministry official to the outside of the tent.

"I wanted to ask if you are ready for facing the Hungarian Horntail? That dragon is extremely deadly you know!" said a slightly concerned Ludo Bagman.

"Yes sir. I am well aware. I have already have a strategy ready for the first task, but I hope I can just get the egg quickly and leave."

"Are you sure, Mr. Potter? I have a couple of pointers should you need them." said Ludo Bagman.

Even though he was nervous as hell about facing the dragon, Harry felt that taking advice from a ministry official could be considered cheating.

"I'm quite sure sir. Thanks for the concern, but I got it under control." said Harry.

When Harry walked back to the tent he was able to make out the voice of Dumbledore speaking to the other champions before he realized the tournament was only moments away.

"Mr. Diggory at the sound of the cannon you …" said Dumbledore before he was cut off from the blast of the cannon just outside the champion's tent.

Cedric seemed to have gotten the message regardless and started heading out of the tent to face off against the Swedish Short Snout. Dumbledore exited the tent in front of Cedric and took his place next to the other judges. After a few moments of concentrating, the Hufflepuff champion exited the tent and was in view of the gigantic crowd surrounding the stadium arena. A loud voice suddenly came booming out of the stands.

"Ladies and Gentleman! Welcome to the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament! Today's task is going to test each of the champions' courage, wit, and strength as they each face off against a deadly dragon! Each champion must acquire a golden egg that the dragon is in charge of guarding. How each champion gets the egg is up to them entirely, but the champions will be scored after the task is over based on the amount of time it takes for them to finish, and what means they use to get the golden egg. We will mention that a loss of points will happen should the other eggs the dragon is guarding become broken. Also as a side note, the Unforgiveable Curses are still illegal for this tournament and will not be used! With all that in mind, lets give a big hand to our first combatant. The Champion of Hufflepuff House: Cedric Diggory!" said Dumbledore.

The crowd erupted with applause for the first Hogwarts Champion, and Cedric briefly waved to the crowd. A moment later, Cedric's dragon appeared from out of thin air and began guarding the golden egg while menacingly staring him down.

"Let's get started then." Cedric muttered underneath his breath. The tent door closed behind him, and the start of the first task was on.

* * *

About an hour later, Cedric, Fleur and Viktor had all gone out of the champions tent and faced their dragons. Harry was the only Tri-Wizard Champion left and currently was alone in the tent. While a champion was waiting in the tent, they were not allowed to leave but they could watch their fellow champions compete in the first task. It may give them ideas on how to get past the dragon, but Harry didn't care. Suddenly a loud voice spoke from the crowd.

"Three champions have gotten past their dragons and retrieved the golden egg. This egg contains a vital clue to assist them with the second task. Now we turn to our final champion from Hogwarts: Mr. Harry Potter from Gryffindor House!" said Dumbledore through the use of the _Sonorous_ charm which projected his voice out to everyone.

Harry was called to his feet by a few of the dragon tamers on site and pushed through the door of the tent. The crowd of people in the stadium cheered loudly for the second Hogwarts champion, but all too soon the praise and recognition fell silent. Suddenly a loud roar from the middle of the area erupted with smoke encased throughout. The dragon had been set free. Harry made his way towards the middle of the area but still could not see the dragon just yet. As he progressed, the fog cleared and the dragon reared its head from the ground and screeched so loudly that Harry had to cover his ears from the pain.

The dragon was just as scary as Sirius mentioned. Maybe even more so. Horns and spikes were scattered throughout the creature's body and the skin looked like it was made out of iron and steel rather than scales, the eyeballs glowed a deep crimson red that glared at the young man venomously, and the horntail's wings were incredibly massive in length. Harry was grateful that the ferocious beast was chained down but given how violently the dragon shook chain around, it didn't look like the dragon would stay in place for long.

Harry knew he had to act fast. In order to try something daring and quick, Harry tried using the summoning charm on the golden egg.

 _"Accio Golden Egg!"_ Harry shouted. Unsurprisingly the egg did not move a muscle.

"Come now, Mr. Potter! We wouldn't make the challenge that easy now would we?" asked Ludo Bagman with the help of the _Sonorous_ charm.

The crowd began laughing to ease the tension. The young man did not find this funny at all. Since the first strategy was out the window, Harry had to resort to the next plan. He needed to hurry though because the dragon was getting more pissed off by the second.

The Hungarian Horntail drew in a gigantic breath of air and was about to expel flame towards Harry, but the young champion ducked out of the way and hid behind a massive boulder. The intense flames were melting the only shield Harry had. If he didn't think of something soon he would be dragon food. Out of nowhere, a voice appeared in his head.

 _"Harry! Run! Use your broom to get away!"_ the voice said.

Harry looked all around for the voice but could not place the source. Acting upon what he had just heard, Harry pulled out his wand and summoned his Firebolt broom.

 _"Accio Firebolt!"_

Within seconds, the broom appeared near him and Harry ran towards the speeding broom and jumped on. While getting away, Harry noticed the end strands of his broom were singed with little bits of flame. The young champion took off from the dragon and flew towards one side of the stadium in order to see just how far the length of the dragons chain would go. As he reached the other side, the dragon began to follow the target but was held back by the chain only 50 feet or so from where Harry was. The jaws of the beast were snapping violently towards Harry but thankfully he was out of range.

The dragon was enraged because it could not destroy the little vermin that had escaped. The beast tried to pull with all of its might against the chain that was holding it in place. A second later, the chains began to weaken and the sound of waning metal rang throughout the stadium.

 _"Harry please fly! Fly out of there now!"_ the voice in his head said once again.

Harry was beginning to think he was losing his mind when he realized the voice was right. However instead of flying further away from the beast, the young champion dove towards the dragon and flew directly underneath its stomach which angered the Horntail even more.

"Looks like Potter might have a chance at the egg! He's flown underneath the dragon and has a clear shot to the clue!" Ludo Bagman said to the crowd.

That's when everything went wrong. The dragon pulled one final time, using its massive neck, and snapped the chain restraining itself off. With its newfound freedom, the dragon flew towards the young champion. The beast was free and now clearly out for revenge. It didn't matter that Harry had not even tried yet to approach her young, the dragon wanted blood. No one was going to get in her way. The crowd began screaming and Harry had a pretty good idea that Ginny Weasley was the loudest of them all.

The Hungarian Horntail was gaining in fast on Harry and began expelling flames near him. No matter which way Harry turned the dragon followed and shot out massive fireballs. If it wasn't so frightening, Harry would have compared it to quidditch except this time he was the Snitch and getting captured meant instant death. Seeing the egg in view, Harry attempted to get close and grab the egg but he missed and had to change directions quickly.

"Oh no it appears Mr. Potter has failed to retrieve the egg! He will have to try again!" Ludo Bagman shouted to the crowd.

The dragon turned as fast as Harry and was beginning to gain in speed behind the boy. With more fireballs coming his way, Harry did his best to avoid them. He was starting to have enough of the dragon's antics and decided to go for the egg once more. The young man dived head on towards the egg, but the dragon noticed and produced another long flamethrower towards him. Unbeknownst to Harry, some of the cinders from said flamethrower landed on his tournament gear and it immediately caught fire.

"It seems Mr. Potter has caught fire from the dragon! He better put it out quickly!" said Ludo Bagman.

The back of Harry's gear was igniting into a small batch of wildfire. He tried putting the fire out using his wand and using the _Aguamenti_ spell but it seemed to only increase the flames. Things were starting to get really hot on his back and it was becoming hard to concentrate. Only one thing could be done in order to get the fire off so Harry took a dive and landed on the rocks below.

Harry tried to jump off the broom and safely land on the ground but he unfortunately lost his footing and tumbled down the rocks onto the hard ground. As he fell, the recognizable sound of broken bone was heard by Harry. An immense amount of pain was coursing in his right leg. Trying to ignore the pain in his leg, Harry tried to drag himself on his hands and knees into a hole in the wall in order to hide from the flying menace that was terrorizing him. He was not able to make it however, so he hid in a small crevice that hid him from the dragon.

"Mr. Potter just cannot seem to get the fire off! He needs to do so quickly or else could become seriously injured." said Ludo Bagman to the crowd.

The fire on Harry's clothes was spreading rapidly. The thing about this flame was that it seemed to stick to his clothing and the coloring morphed into a sickly menacing green instead of the reddish yellow that flames normally took on. Harry tried pulling off his clothes but he found they were magically infused with his skin as if it was coated with a super strong glue. Try as he might, Harry was struggling to get his gear off and was screaming from the intense pain from the flames. There was no way to remove the clothing and he was running out of time fast!

Thinking quickly, Harry mended his leg using the _Episky_ spell but since he was inexperienced in medical magic, the spell only part way fixed his injuries. From there he tried once more to use the _Aguamenti_ spell but it proved to be his downfall. As soon as the spell was muttered from Harry's charred hands, the green fire coated Harry's entire body and now he was completely covered in the strange fire.

"AAAHHHHHHHHH!" Harry screamed so loud that his throat gave out. "HELP ME PLEASE!"

He stumbled out of the crevice and walked out into the arena where everyone in the stands was either screaming out of horror or yelling at the judges and demanding that they do something to save Harry Potter.

"Judges to me! We need to stop this madness at once!" Professor Dumbledore shouted.

The group of adults moved towards the boy as fast as they could, and the dragon tamers began to try and capture the beast once more. As if things couldn't get any worse, Harry still had a dragon to contend with. However the green flames were now removing his flesh off in what seemed like pounds. The dragon was now face to face with Mr. Potter but the champion didn't care. Blood was dripping out of his face, arms, and torso in what was becoming a gruesome display to witness. A few moments later, Harry fell to the ground still covered in erupting green flames.

Before giving up from the lack of oxygen in his body and severe burns, Harry could see the judges and several Hogwarts Professors come to his aid to fend off the dragon. The last thing he could see before passing out was a white light coming from the end of a long tunnel.

 _"_ _This is the end._ _This is where I die."_ Harry thought.

The young man then took his final breath, and left the world behind.


	7. Chapter 7: Reunion

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **What Happened Previously:** Ginny tries to cheer Harry up before the first task begins, but it doesn't work. The champions pick their dragons, and Harry ends up going last. When Harry faces his dragon, everything seems to be in hand until they get free from the chains. Harry is then chased by the Hungarian Horntail and burned to death.

 **LAST EDITED: 3/5/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Reunion**

Nowhere. That's where Harry ended up. There was white light everywhere, but nothing else that seemed to go on forever. The fourteen year old was shocked by his surroundings. In his mind, a ton of questions had arisen and it seemed none of them were going to be answered soon. The boy got off the ground and tried to search for his glasses. His vision was blurred after waking, and could not see much. Not that it mattered.

After looking franticly, Harry located the pair of glasses only a few feet away from him on the ground. The boy picked them up and placed them on his face. Now where was his wand? Harry checked his clothes, which he was surprised to see that his gear was not burned, and found his wand in one of his pockets. Realizing he had nothing else to do, Harry began walking. The sounds of his feet hitting the ground resonated and they could be heard everywhere.

 _"Where am I?"_ he thought.

The young champion continued to walk but couldn't find anything that could indicate where he was. He began walking farther away from his original spot and kept on going for a few minutes.

"This is getting me nowhere. " _Point Me_." Harry stated.

The spell glowed from his wand and proceeded to form a guide. The line of magic spread out for what seemed like miles that never ended.

 _"How can this be? How long does this go?"_ Harry asked himself in his head. Realizing that thinking things all the time was not going to help, Harry began speaking aloud in case someone could hear him.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

No response came. Harry should have expected this but then again it was better than doing nothing.

"I don't know where I am, but if someone could tell me please? Someone? ... Anyone?" Harry said.

His voice seemed to echo in every direction as it spoke. Every single time he asked, his voice sounded more and more saddened because of where he ended up. After hearing nothing but silence, Harry gave up shouting and just sat down instead.

"How do I get out of here?" Harry said aloud to himself. His voice echoed across the plane that he resided in. He would try to reserve his talking for now, so he didn't have to hear any more echoing.

A moment later, Harry could hear something coming from the direction opposite of him. The sound was extremely faint, but it soon became louder. The voice sounded so familiar. Where had he heard it before? The boy could tell the voice was coming closer with each moment that passed.

"Harry! Are you there, Harry?" the voice asked.

The wheels inside of Harry's mind clicked. He knew exactly where he had heard this voice from, but not exactly who was speaking.

"I've heard your voice before. You're the one who spoke to me in the tournament! Who are you?" Harry asked as he began searching for the mysterious voice. The sounds of someone's feet walking were coming closer and closer towards him.

"I want to help you, Harry."

This time the voice was much closer and now the raven haired boy could tell it was female. Unfortunately the young man was extremely confused, and projected his anger.

"WHO ARE YOU? HOW DO YOU KNOW ME? SHOW YOURSELF!"

The sound of footsteps stopped. Harry turned around to discover that the source of the voice was from another human being. It was a woman and she seemed angelic like. She was older than him but not by too much, had vibrant red hair that went past her shoulders, and eyes that looked just like ...

"Hello, Harry." the woman said as tears were beginning to form.

Harry's eyes widened and he suddenly lost all control of breathing. He knew who this person was. He had seen her before his in nightmares, right before she was murdered. She begged and pleaded for his life to be saved, but in the end it did not matter. The murderer got what was coming to him. This time however there was no screaming. No death. No pain. Harry never imagined he would see her again.

"Mum?"

"Yes." Lily said while nodding her head.

While shaking with joy, Harry ran over to his mother. The hug she gave him was long overdue, but neither one of them cared. The two of them cried for a short amount of time, but neither one dared to release the other. Mother and son were together at last, and no one would take that away from them. After some time, Harry pulled away to look into his mother's eyes. She had the most intense jade green eyes he had ever seen. It was at that moment, Harry realized he was in the presence of the most beautiful person in the world.

"Mum ... I ... I can't believe you're here. I've missed you so much." Harry managed to say while still crying. Even though Lily continued to cry, she wiped a few of the tears away from her son's eyes.

"I've missed you too. I love you so much, Harry. I'm so happy to have my baby boy in my arms again." said Lily.

The two slowly released their hug and stared at one another for a few moments.

"My Godric you look just like him. I see you have your father's untamable hair, and eyesight, but ..." Lily started to say before Harry interrupted.

"But I have your eyes. I know. I've been told that several times and I'm glad to say they're true. I was also told that I have your compassion and caring for others."

Lily smiled at her son and was grateful that others had told him so. He really was the perfect combination of herself and her husband.

"I've only seen you in my dreams. Nightmares really. I always see the night Voldemort killed you and dad."

Lily couldn't say anything at that time. She felt so bad for her own flesh and blood, that nothing she said could have helped.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Mum." the boy said quietly. The tears in his eyes beginning to reform. Lily realized what he was trying to say instantly.

"No, Harry. Do not blame yourself. Your father and I would have done anything to protect you from harm. Please do not think for a second that this was your fault."

"It is my fault! You're dead because of me, Mum! You could have lived if I was never born! How could you not think this was my fault?" Harry almost screamed at her. The young man looked down at the ground to not meet his mother's eyes. Lily was not going to let her son accept this burden, so she got his attention and spoke to him once more.

"Harry. My son. You are the single greatest thing that has ever happened to me. While our time was short, I wouldn't ever trade it for anything. This will never be your fault Harry. The only person who's to blame is that bastard Voldemort. Understand?"

"Yes, Mum."

"Good. Now come with me. We have a lot of things to talk about before you go." Lily said as she guided her son over to two chairs that instantly appeared out of thin air.

"Go? What do you mean, Mum?" Harry said as he sat down in the chair next to his mother.

"You won't remain here long, Harry. Before you go, I have a lot of things you need to hear. Things that will help you kill that psychopath who took you from me."

Harry was confused. Sure learning some information about Voldemort was great, but, he didn't care about that. He had his Mum back. Why would he want to go back to that world without her?

"But I don't want to go back, Mum. You're in my life again. I may have only been here a few moments, but everything is already so much better because of it."

"That may be true, but living here will have consequences, Harry. In the real world you'll be dead and no one will be able to defeat Voldemort. The world will fall into chaos, and many people will die. Is it worth all that to stay here?"

The boy thought about it for a moment before answering. Back in the real world, he would be targeted by his peers, professors, and the general public because of all the slander in the press. In the real world, he would feel hatred again for those who called him a cheat and a liar. He would suffer at the hands of his abusive relatives. And most importantly, he would most likely be tortured by Voldemort if he were to ever come back. There was only one thing Harry could say.

"Yes. It's so worth it, Mum. You don't know what its like back there! Ever since you and dad died, I became famous for surviving an onslaught from Voldemort. My aunt and uncle have called me a worthless freak my whole life, and even beat me mercilessly. I never even knew my name until I was six! My friends have all turned on me for thinking I cheated to get into this tournament! What kind of life is that, Mum? How can you possibly think I would ever want to go back there? Why would I bother trying to help anyone when all they want to do is destroy me?"

"I know, Harry. I've watched over you since my death. I've seen every cruel and despicable thing that's ever been done to you, every time you were abused, every time you cried, and every time you wished you were dead."

Harry gasped. He had never told anyone he was so depressed that killing himself would ease himself of the pain. Not even Ginny, Hermione, or Ron. What really shocked him though was knowing his Mum had seen everything, and was forcing him to go back.

"If you know, then why would you want me to go back to that world? WHY MUM? There's nothing for me there! NOTHING! I would easily give up my life just to be here for eternity with you. There is nothing you can say that can change my mind!"

Lily looked disappointed at her son, but she could not blame him at all. Harry had suffered so much in just a short time, so making him see reason would be especially difficult.

"Harry please listen to me. I know keeping you here may sound great, but sooner or later the guilt will eat at you. Everyone's lives would be for nothing, and Voldemort would be free to take over the world. Can you stand idly by while that happens?"

Harry didn't say anything. He instead got up from his chair and turned away from his mother. His breathing was ragged and rage filled him up.

"Harry-James-Potter! Turn around and look at me!"

Even though he was upset, the boy obeyed his mother's wishes.

"Please, Harry. Please realize what you're saying. This isn't like you! Is there no one you would want to save from that kind of hell? Anyone at all?"

"No. No one." Harry said while shaking his head.

"Harry stop! You know that's not true! What about your friends? Your professors? There must be someone you care about."

"Ha. What friends? No one would believe me when I wasn't the Heir of Slytherin, or when I didn't enter the tournament either! And my professors aren't any better! They could have found a way to get me out of this, but they didn't. Also that git of a potions master hates me and I've done nothing wrong except look like my father. I would gladly give them up just to be here! All of them! I've been denied having my parents in my life for fourteen years, and no one is going to take this away from me. I'm finally getting what I always wanted."

"What about Sirius? What about Ginny? Can you honestly say you'd be fine with leaving them to die? Can you, Harry?"

Harry lost his breath after hearing Sirius' and Ginny's names. He had forgotten about them, and the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Despite everything that has happened to him, the only bright spots left were his godfather and his girlfriend.

"No ... I can't. I need them." Harry said while shaking with tears.

Lily got up and held her son again. She waited for him to stop crying before she continued.

"Harry. I know you want to be here, but your place is back in that world. You will see me again. I promise. Our reunion may be short, but hopefully this meeting will give you the strength to move on. You need to live, to grow old, fall in love, and change the world to become better than what it is. If you leave that behind, you will always wonder what could have been, and I could never deprive you of that."

"I'm sorry, Mum."

"I know, Harry. I know. Now come back to the chair with me. We have a lot of things to discuss."

He nodded and followed his mother back into the chair.

"I imagine you have a lot of questions for me, Harry. I'll try to answer them the best I can." Lily stated.

"Yes. Where am I, Mum? What is this place?"

"This Harry, is what's known as the emptiness, or purgatory from what the muggles describe. It is a dimensional plane that exists solely between the physical world and the spiritual. Only those who are about to die can reside here. Even though I am gone, you are not. This is the only way we can see one another."

"How did I get here?"

"In the first task, you were facing off against the Hungarian Horntail and your goal was to retrieve a golden egg for the second task. Does this sound familiar so far?" asked Lily.

Harry nodded but was not looking forward to what his mother had to say next.

"You were doing spectacular against the dragon Harry, but even your father and I could sense that something terrible was about to occur. During the task, I kept trying to reach out to you, but I'm not sure if you heard me at all."

"I did hear you, Mum. It was difficult at first, but it sounded like someone was warning me to get away. I'm so glad it was you. For a minute there, I thought I was going mad and hearing voices in my head." Harry exclaimed.

Lily chuckled for a few seconds then began speaking once again.

"There's nothing wrong with hearing voices in your head Harry. Also you're not going mad, but sometimes a little madness is a good thing." Harry smirked from his mother's statement, while Lily decided to continue with her explanation.

"Anyways, the dragon was following you around on your broom and kept producing fire balls to try and hit you. A little while later, we noticed the green flames were spreading all over your body and you kept trying to get it off, but it seemed like it was stuck to your skin."

It was hard for her to explain this part of the story because seeing her son in pain was almost too much to bare.

"Mum I know this is hard, but I need to know something. Why did the fire turn green and stick to me?" asked Harry.

"I know that the fire was part of some kind of chemical concoction that seemed to be laced in with your clothes, but beyond that I don't know. It seems that once the dragon's fire was able to trigger the substance, the chemical erupted. Your father and I can only see what happens around you Harry so we are just as in the dark as you are as to who would do this.

One thing we both discussed is that this fire is reminiscent of the chemical properties of _Fiend Fyre_ which is an extremely dangerous flammable spell that cannot die out until it has absorbed enough oxygen to burn out on its own. Whomever laced your clothes with this experimental substance is not your friend Harry. Can you think of anyone who would want to kill you?" asked a very concerned Lily.

Harry was now more confused than ever.

"No. I don't understand, Mum. Who could have done this to me?"

Lily reached out to Harry and held his hand.

"I don't know why this happened, Harry. I never wanted this life for you and neither did your father. We tried so hard to protect you but in the end it wasn't enough." said Lily. Tears were now streaming down her face and Harry couldn't help but start again either.

"But I do know this," Lily said. "there are many people out there who wish for you to die or make you suffer one way or another. However there are a few you can always rely on like that pretty red headed girlfriend of yours, and your irresponsible scruffy godfather as well. They will always be there for you Harry, and so will we."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"How is Sirius by the way?"

"He's strong, but worried about me. The last I had heard from him was before the tournament started. He was being hunted by the Death Eaters and the Ministry Aurors, Mum. I know he was going to try and see me compete, but I honestly wish he hadn't. I can't imagine what he's feeling right now. Seeing me die from the stands may have caused him to have a heart attack."

"Don't count him out yet, Harry. There are many things that have bothered Sirius, but since you aren't dead, he will be overjoyed that you lived."

"Thanks, Mum. He's the only thing I've ever had to a father. I only wish I could have known my real dad though."

"I know, Harry. Please keep in touch with Sirius, Harry. While he isn't your father by blood, he acts like one and I know he loves you. Just make sure you slap him upside the head a few times for me though."

"I will, Mum" Harry said while laughing a little.

"Oh and never, I repeat, never listen to his advice about women. Do you understand me?"

"I won't, Mum." Harry said while actually laughing a lot now.

"Speaking of which, how's Ginny?"

He blushed slightly when Ginny's name was mentioned though.

"Ah. I can tell she's a special girl if her name can cause you to blush like that."

"She is special, Mum. I really care about her. She drives me crazy and everything about her is perfect. She's my best friend, and I can't imagine her not being in my life."

Lilly contemplated over what her son said, before asking him another question.

"Do you love her, Harry?"'

Harry took a deep breath before answering. He was confused, but answered the best he could.

"I don't know. I'm not sure what love is supposed to feel like. I haven't really felt any so far in my life."

"Well let me ask you this way. What makes her special?"

"Well ... She is a great friend. I only got to know her after I saved her life from the Chamber of Secrets though."

"It doesn't matter when you became friends, Harry. You can only focus on the future. Dreading about what could have been will only cause pain. Please don't do that to yourself, Harry. Besides, it seems it worked out in the end anyways. Right?"

Harry smiled. His Mum was right.

"So what else makes her special?"

"Ginny is different, Mum, but I like that about her. She always talks to me and tries to make me feel better. She doesn't take any of my crap, and helps me put my head on straight. She's feisty, yet funny too. She's an amazing flier and could easily beat out any of her brothers any day. She has the most amazing eyes. I feel I could get lost in them for hours, Mum. She has the most amazing hair also. It's just like yours and feels like silk. It's so smooth and yet so firey at the same time."

As Harry continued to talk about his girlfriend, Lily's smile grew with each passing moment.

"I see. Well Harry it seems like you are in love with her. If you could describe her with that much care and passion, then there's no doubt about it in my mind."

"What if she doesn't love me back, Mum? I need her so much. She's been my friend for years, and I can't lose her too."

"She does love you, Harry. Remember I've been watching you two together, and it reminds me of the love your father and I shared."

Harry's smiled stretched so much that it was starting to hurt his face. Lily laughed a little after seeing this.

"Now do you understand why you have to go back, Harry? Even though what I'm about to tell you about Voldemort is important, you have something even more important than him. I expect you to tell her exactly how you feel as soon as you can, young man."

Harry laughed a little after his mother tried to give him a "stern talking to". Lily couldn't hold in her faked anger and laughed along with her son.

"Thanks, Mum. I will."

"Good. Now I need to ask you a serious question, Harry. What do you know about Horcruxes?" asked Lily.

* * *

Hours later Harry was brought up to speed on what Horcruxes were. By killing someone in cold bold, the murderer's soul splits and allows them to transfer part of it into an item of their choosing. That item that contains the soul is called a Horcrux. As long as a Horcrux exists, the maker of them can never truly die because soul would be tied to the mortal plane. Lily explained that a piece of the Dark Lord's soul was trapped inside of Harry's body and remained inside of his scar ever since Tom Riddle perished that fateful night. This Horcrux explains why Harry is able to speak Parslemouth and is connected to Voldemort through nightmarish visions.

Harry's parents had known for some time that Tom Riddle created Horcruxes to preserve his immortality, but were never able to provide the news to the Order of the Phoenix because of their deaths. The Horcruxes were the only explanation as to why Harry had survived the ordeal with the tournament. Even though the young man had died, the soul that had been taken in his place was that of Lord Voldemort's.

Lily then explained to Harry that the maximum number of Horcruxes any wizard could create was six, but she believed that Harry was the last and unintended Horcrux to be made which brought the total up to seven. Since his mother had stood up to Voldemort and shielded Harry with her love, Voldemort's final piece of his soul had latched itself onto the only living thing in the room: the infant Harry Potter.

Finally the conversation led to the discovery of what the other Horcruxes were. Lily tried to provide Harry everything she and her husband knew but in the end it was all guesses because they did not know enough about Tom Riddle to know where to start looking. Harry did mention he killed a younger version of Tom Riddle in a diary that possessed Ginny two years ago, and the both of them concluded that it was indeed a Horcrux. The only problem was that there were still five more out there somewhere and Lily had no idea where to suggest that her son start looking.

After telling her son everything that needed to be said about the Horcruxes, Lily held her son close and knew that this was too much to bare for Harry. She then stood up and motioned for her son to follow her. Harry grabbed her hand as Lily took him back to the original spot where he came in from.

"Is it time to go, Mum? I don't want to leave you yet." asked Harry.

"Yes it is, my son. You will always be in our hearts, Harry. Your father and I will always look out for you no matter what. Even though we are dead, we will never be gone in your heart. We will be together again my son. I promise." said Lily.

"I love you Mum. Thank you for everything you told me. I'm thankful for the time we had." said a tearful Harry.

"I am too, Harry." said Lily. She then let go of Harry's hand, and kissed the top of his his head. Lily Potter then began to disappear before Harry's eyes. Before she was completely gone, Lily whispered good luck to her only child.

The area around Harry soon became clearer. The white areas became full of color and the real world started to blend itself with the emptiness. It would be only a few more moments before Harry would go back to the wizarding world. He would go back to Sirius, to Ginny, and hopefully tell them both how much he loved them. As Harry felt his body escape the emptiness, he shed one last tear for his mother.

"Goodbye, Mum. I'll always love you."

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

As soon as Harry was gone, Lily moved through the emptiness. She found her husband James Potter waiting for arrival in the afterlife.

"How is he, Lily?" asked James.

"He is perfect James. He looks just like you but with my eyes and misses us terribly."

"I wish I could have seen him. I miss him so much."

"I know dear. I wish you could have come, but only one of us can step into the emptiness at a time. He must return to his own world and defeat that son of a bitch once and for all. I only hope he has enough strength to carry on. He will need all he can to make it through the coming war." said Lily as she held her husband.

"I know he can do it love. He's our son and will take that madman down. I promise you Harry will set things right."

"I know he can, James. He is our boy after all."


	8. Chapter 8: Arrival (Part 1)

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **What Happened Previously:** Harry meets his mother, Lily, in the emptiness. While there, he learns about the Horcruxes made by Lord Voldemort.

 **LAST EDITED: 3/5/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Arrival (Part 1)**

 _(Right after the flames torture Harry)_

"Judges, to me!" said Dumbledore.

As the headmaster was escaping the audience and trying to reach Harry Potter, Dumbledore noticed that Madame Maxine, Barty Crouch Sr., Mad-Eye Moody, Ludo Bagman, and surprisingly, Igor Karkaroff were heading towards the fallen champion and enraged dragon. All around the judges, the audience in the stadium was screaming out in pure terror for what they had seen. The dragon had come loose from its chains and, from the look of things, burned a champion to death. Everyone was in a state of panic, and Dumbledore had to take control of the situation immediately.

"Quickly! We must save him!" Dumbledore shouted at the other judges. "Igor, Alastor, and Ludo, please restrain the dragon with the other tamers at once! Madame Maxine, you are with me! We must get Mr. Potter to the hospital wing immediately! As for you Mr. Crouch, please assist Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape, with getting the rest of the crowd out of here!"

The judges all nodded and then went their separate ways.

Dumbledore turned to Madame Maxine and quietly said "Please be careful with his body, Madame. If Mr. Potter is alive, he will be in extreme pain. We need to get him to the Hospital Wing immediately!"

The tall woman only nodded in response as she had nothing to say. The only thing that was on her mind at the time was the safety and recuperation of the young boy who was being carried away. She knew this young man was in for a rough recovery, that is, if he even survived this ordeal at all.

* * *

 _(As the judges are going to Harry)_

With the assistance of the Romanian dragon tamers, and some of the tournament judges, taking down the Hungarian Horntail was not too difficult. That's not saying it was easy however. The great beast did manage to injure one of the tamers before it was finally restrained for good by clipping the wings with iron shackles, and using several sleeping spells to calm the dragon. The only movement that did come from the dragon was the minor struggling before it finally drifted off to sleep.

"That was one nasty dragon." Charlie Weasley said under his breath.

He turned his attention to the scenery around him, and was shocked to see how much carnage had occurred. Some of the stands had been singed with other areas completely destroyed, and the stadium ground had become charred. Charlie went over to the three judges who assisted him, and asked them the question he dreaded finding out the answer to.

"Is Harry okay? He's not dead is he?" Charlie Wesley asked.

None of the judges answered him at first, but suddenly Barty Crouch Jr./Alastor Moody took the chance to address his concerns.

"You're Arthur Weasley's son right?"

"Yes sir." Charlie stated.

"I heard you and your family is close with Potter."

"Yes sir. Harry is very close to us. My parents even consider him like another son."

The agent grunted in some sort of attempt to make a small snide to the Weasley boy.

"In my expert opinion Mr. Weasley, it seems Mr. Potter does not have long. Do me a favor and go home to your family. Tell them all what happened here. From what we all witnessed, it seems like Potter will die very soon. If any of you wish to say your goodbyes, now would be the time." The Death Eater growled but not as harshly as he usually did in his guise.

Charlie Weasley was shocked and could only imagine how the rest of his siblings, and parents, would handle the news. Charlie had not known Harry that long, only having met him once the summer before his third year was to start, but could tell that the Potter kid was incredibly kind and fit in well with his family. With some tears in his eyes, Charlie nodded and apparated back to his childhood home: The Burrow.

* * *

 _(Right after Harry falls from the flames of the dragon)_

Ginny Weasley continued to watch in horror as her boyfriend's body succumbed to the flames. Her eyes grew wide, she couldn't breathe, and it seemed like time stood still. She couldn't understand what had just happened and was numb to everything else around her. Harry was flying spectacularly around the stadium and nearly had the golden egg. Then out of nowhere he was engulfed in sickeningly green flames. How was this possible? The dragon could not have produced such fire, because everyone could see it was a reddish yellowish color.

The judges extinguished the flames from Harry's body as soon as they could and placed him on a magical stretcher. As Harry was starting to move out of the stadium, Ginny snapped out of her shocked trance and started crying the hardest she had ever done in her life. Even though people were evacuating the stands and urging Ginny to leave, the red headed girl refused to move. Her boyfriend was so hurt and no one could anything against the rage of the Hungarian Horntail. After crying some more, and almost going numb once more, Ginny felt a hand on her shoulder. She heard a voice she instantly regretted hearing.

"Ginny? Ginny! We have to leave now! It's not safe here!" Ron shouted to his sister.

Although he appeared to be concerned, his tone was slightly agitated about having to drag Ginny away from the arena. Even he was not stupid enough to stick around with a rampaging dragon nearby. Ginny's blood began boiling inside of her body when she heard her git of a brother's voice. She was about to stop crying and tear Ron's face a new one when another unpleasant voice emerged.

"Ginny! Please we need to leave! We have to get out of here! Harry needs us now!" said Hermione. Her face was completely shadowed with fear.

Ron almost started yelling at Hermione, but realized the gravity of his impending actions. Had he yelled at her now, then she would have undeniably left his side and stand with Potter. Ron could not allow that to happen, so he remained quiet.

Ginny could tell that Hermione was truly afraid for Harry's well being, but none of it mattered to her. Ginny was enraged beyond all belief that her inconsiderate brother and the know it all queen bitch had wanted to even go see Harry. Not only that, but the young Weasley girl was still mad at the two of them for deserting their best friend when he needed it the most.

The youngest Weasley was finally able to stop her tears and dried the streaks from her face. Then, in an act of rage, Ginny used her Bat-Bogey Hex on Harry's former friends. She watched with pure hatred as the winged rodents flew out of the two students' noses. The screams were long and the pain was insufferable, but Ginny didn't care. After minutes of begging Ron and Hermione, Ginny finally released the curse.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Hermione yelled.

"SHUT IT GRANGER! You have some nerve trying to go see Harry! You claimed to be his friend when all along you've been nothing but a lying, accusing, back-stabbing traitor! Do you know how horrible he felt when his two best friends deserted him? He was so lost and upset over your betrayal! Of course that didn't matter to you now did it? And now look where it got him! He may be dea ..." Ginny tried to say but couldn't finish her sentence. She composed herself and tried again.

"You have no right to be by Harry's side. I forbid you to see him!"

Ginny then turned her wand on Ron and grabbed him by his shirt. She then pulled her brother to eye level and gave him the threat of a lifetime.

"You, Ron, are nothing to me. Look at what you've become! I don't even recognize you anymore! Get your head on straight you sorry excuse for a wizard! If I find you even near Harry, I promise you will suffer an extremely painful death. I don't care if they lock me up forever in Azkaban. I will have your head if you go near him."

Ginny then threw her brother down and ran out of the stadium as fast as she could. When the red haired girl was out of view, Ron and Hermione looked at each other solemnly and realized how horrible they had been as friends toward Harry. Well Hermione did anyways.

"What have I done? I should have believed him from the start. We both should have, Ron. We were his friends and we betrayed him. Why did we do this?" Hermione wailed.

"I … agree. We really did muck things up. We have to go see him and say we're sorry." said Ron.

Even though Ron was lying about it all, he didn't want to say this in front of Hermione. She would most likely only yell, or worse, hex him. Since Ginny had already done a superb job of hurting him, Ron was not looking forward to more pain. Hermione was terrified of going to see Harry at this time and instead offered another possible solution.

"I'm not sure if we should see him right now, Ron. Your sister is right. We really don't deserve to be there, but perhaps we could visit him later tonight after curfew. I just want a private audience with Harry to explain just how sorry I am." said Hermione.

"We could just use his cloak and hide underneath it while everyone else is there." Ron admitted.

Hermione nodded in agreement. The two Gryffindor students were then ushered out of the stadium by Barty Crouch Jr./Mad-Eye Moody and headed back to the Gryffindor Common Room to find their best friend's cloak.

* * *

 _(While Harry was being carried away to the castle)_

As Alastor Moody, Barty Crouch Jr. had to seem sympathetic to everyone about Harry perishing, but was happy the boy was dying. But only for a second. Suddenly in his mind, Barty Crouch Jr. was imagining the kind of hell that awaited him once he delivered the news about Potter's death to his master. Voldemort demanded that Harry Potter live. The boy was necessary so they could use his body to bring back the Dark Lord's body. Now that the Potter brat was dead or was going to die, Voldemort would be absolutely furious. Barty Crouch Jr. had to get away from Hogwarts immediately. In order to save his own skin, he would have to go to his master, beg for forgiveness, or perhaps pin this all on the Malfoy family. That and hope that he would not get a killing curse for this blunder.

"Alastor, we must proceed back to the castle! Try to get any other students lagging behind!" said Dumbledore snapping the Death Eater agent out of his thoughts.

"Mad-Eye" nodded and began shooing the rest of the students from the audience. When he thought there was no one else in the stands, he turned to see Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger still sitting and talking.

"Hey! The both of you need to leave! You want something else to happen to you in this tent? It's not safe here!" Barty growled.

The two young Gryffindors then headed away from their professor, but were stopped when the agent realized something.

"Wait! You're Potter's friends right?"

"Yes, professor." Hermione said.

"Come with me then. I need to escort you to the Hospital Wing. Don't doddle!"

"We can't go with you, professor." Ron said.

"I don't care what kind of squabble the three of you are in. Get down from the stadium and follow me to the Hospital Wing. NOW!" Crouch Jr. yelled at the two Gryffindors.

Ron and Hermione reluctantly followed Mad-Eye Moody from the stadium to the halls that led to the Hospital Wing. Before they could go in, a crowd of students surrounded the doors, with Dumbledore and the other judges trying to get through.

"Of course there's a bloody crowd. You two stay here. When the crowd clears, get in there and give your respects!" Alastor said while rushing off to the stadium again.

"Come on, Ron. Let's wait over here until the crowd disappears." Hermione stated while indicating the bench that was nearby.

* * *

It only took a few moments to return, but Crouch Jr. was able to get back to the stadium with no other witnesses around. Realizing that there may not be another chance to escape without being noticed, the fake Auror apparated away to the Riddle Manor without even bothering to try and use the floo network this time. As Barty entered the old house, Wormtail appeared from the shadows and interrogated the unannounced Death Eater.

"What are you doing here, Crouch? You're supposed to be at Hogwarts! Why the bloody hell are you standing here?" Peter Pettigrew demanded.

"Quiet, you sniveling coward! I need to see the master! Get out of my way or I'll curse you seven ways back to the dark ages!" Crouch Jr. shouted as he shoved Peter into the wall.

Before Wormtail could warn him that Voldemort was indisposed, The Dark Lord spoke from the upstairs floor.

"Wormtail, I need your services!" Voldemort screeched.

Barty Crouch Jr. then ran up the stairs with Wormtail following just behind him. The polyjuiced death eater entered the room first, followed by Wormtail.

"Crouch? You're not supposed to be here! You'll ruin the entire operation by leaving Hogwarts during the day! Now explain your idiotic reasons for coming here before I kill you myself!" Voldemort hissed.

Barty got on his hands and knees before approaching his master. The man was not looking forward to the upcoming punishment, but knew he had to get it over with anyways. Using all the courage in his body he had left, the Death Eater spoke to the Dark Lord.

"My Lord, there is something you should know. It seems Mr. Potter was severely burned by the fiend fyre chemical that was laced in his clothes. The damage to his body is astounding and it will be a miracle if he even survives the night." Crouch Jr. admitted.

Voldemort was stunned. The plan to burn Potter in the first task had backfired! He knew instantly that the worthless Malfoy boy did not follow directions when using the chemicals he had given the boy's father, Lucius. It seems that Draco instead conjured a more explosive version of the fiend fyre! Draco would be severely punished for this, that is, if his father didn't get his hands on him first. Lucius may even want to hide the boy and Voldemort would not let that happen.

"Rise, my servant. Neither one of you speak. I need a moment to think." said Voldemort. His tone was neither upset nor was it vicious in any way.

Crouch Jr. obeyed and cautiously stood waiting for his master to change his mind. Fortunately nothing came at all. Silence filled the room and neither Wormtail nor Barty made even the slightest move for it may upset Voldemort. Unfortunately for Wormtail, the man could not sit still for long. He was growing incredibly anxious as the minutes rolled by, and honestly thought the Dark Lord was on the verge of dying.

"Master? Master are you alright? Please answer me!" asked Wormtail.

"Did you not hear me, fool? I SAID NOT TO SPEAK!" Voldemort shrieked.

What came next was something truly terrifying in the Wizarding World. Voldemort screamed a _CRUCIO_ spell so violently that when it struck Wormtail in the head the entire second floor of the manor shook. Wormtail, expectedly, fell to the floor shaking in pain. A burn mark where the spell had hit his head was starting to form, and a small trace of fire was starting to form around it.

"You!" Voldemort said while he pointed to Barty Crouch Jr.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"DO NOT HELP HIM! Go back to Hogwarts. Make sure Potter is alone tonight at midnight in the hospital wing. One of my enforcers will arrive to take care of the matter personally. I don't care if Potter is dead or not. I have a way to make sure he survives. Do not return again until I summon you!"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Get out of my sight, Crouch!"

With that, Barty Crouch Jr. apparated back to the grounds of Hogwarts and immediately started heading back towards the Hospital Wing. Once he was gone, Voldemort continued to punish the useless servant that resided on his floor. He may be supremely pissed at the Malfoys right now, but since they weren't here, the Dark Lord had to inflict his wrath on his favorite punching bag, Wormtail.

* * *

A loud pop resonated in the back yard of the Burrow with Charlie Weasley appearing out of thin air. The red haired man sprinted into the Burrow as fast as his legs could assist him. His speed almost broke down the door when he ran into it. This of course startled his mother who originally thought it was a burglar trying to break their way into the house. With her wand raised at the door, she gave a small gasp when she realized it was her second oldest child.

"CHARLIE WEASLEY DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN! YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!" Mrs. Weasley shouted at her son.

Charlie would have had a heart attack if the news he was trying to deliver wasn't so urgent. Before he even had a chance to speak, his mother spoke aloud to him.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at Hogwarts for the Tri-Wizard tournament?" Molly Weasley asked.

"I'm sorry for scaring you Mum, but I need you, Dad, and Bill to come with me at once! Harry Potter has been gravely injured! We need to go now!" Charlie exclaimed with fear etched on his face.

Molly Weasley dropped her wand after hearing the news. The woman gasped so hard that she almost fell over from being light headed. Mrs. Weasley then clutched her heart because she loved Harry Potter as if he was her own son and began to sob uncontrollably. Charlie then came to her aid and pulled her into a hug to try and calm his mother down. When she was somewhat stable, the two of them flooed over to the Ministry of Magic to find Arthur Weasley.

Charlie and Molly Weasley came into the Ministry of Magic so fast that they actually toppled over a few people. Those innocent bystanders were of course confused and irritated. After getting up and dusting themselves off, the two of them ran off in search of Arthur Weasley. Without even asking permission to go into Arthur's office, Molly and Charlie burst through the door which evidentially caused Arthur to almost have a heart attack and fall out of his chair. When he regained his composure, the father of the household spoke.

"Mollywobbles? Charlie? What's wrong? What's going on here?" asked Arthur.

"Dad we have to hurry! Harry is dying! He is in critical condition from a dragon burn. We need to go now!" Charlie said.

"Hurry, Arthur! We have to leave!" Molly exclaimed.

Arthur stood in shock for a moment before snapping himself out of it. Volunteering to get Percy and Bill, the man promised to meet them both at the Hospital Wing inside Hogwarts. Charlie and Molly Weasley nodded and then apparated away to the gates of the school.

* * *

 _(While Harry is being taken to the Hospital Wing)_

Harry's unconscious body was being transported on a magical stretcher to the Hospital Wing following the aftermath of the first task. The young boy's body was covered in third degree burns that left black scorch marks all over his melted skin. The hair on Harry's head was singed off from the flames and most of the nails on his fingers and toes were peeled off. It was not a pretty sight to behold. As the judges and professors reached the long hallway that poured into the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts, students and members of the audience were trying to surround Harry's unconscious form. Everyone wanted to try and see what essentially remained of the Gryffindor Champion, but the Professors were furious with their meddlesome students.

"Now see here!" Professor Dumbledore shouted. "We have a student who is in critical condition and we must get him to the Hospital Wing. We cannot have students crowding us because we must save Mr. Potter's life! We will inform you all when it will be appropriate to see Harry, but unless you are immediate family we are asking you all to return to your dormitories and await word from us!"

The students looked on at Dumbledore in awe. The old wizard never yelled and it was something completely out of character for the young pupils to see. Realizing that he meant business, the students of all the schools fled the corridor and went back to their dormitories. When the last of the students had vanished from sight, the judges, professors, and Ginny Weasley trailing somewhat behind, escorted Harry Potter's charred body into the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was waiting anxiously to try and start healing the boy and it seemed like she wouldn't have that much time to save Potter.

Madam Maxine, Igor Karkaroff, Barty Crouch Sr., and Ludo Bagman decided to stand guard outside the door while the others went inside the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore appreciated their assistance and went back to the injured young man. Harry's body was gently lifted off of the magic stretcher and placed on to one of the beds. Scorched flesh and cloth remained on the stretcher that made a giant ring around where his body had lain.

The doors to the Hospital Wing then opened suddenly and the remainder of the Weasley family (except for Ron, the Twins, Percy, and Hermione) entered. Ginny immediately went up to them and gave them all hugs to try and receive some kind of comfort in the present situation. When Arthur and Molly Weasley let go of their daughter, the pair headed over to their pseudo son, Harry. Their faces turned white and both of them began crying over the young lad's injuries.

Bill and Charlie were stunned by the amount of damage that Harry was in and were really uncertain if he would survive this encounter or not. In order to keep themselves from wondering any further, the two sons comforted their parents.

"Wait! Where are Ron and Hermione? They should be here for this as well!" said Molly Weasley.

"Mrs. Weasley, I regret to inform you that Mr. Potter had a falling out with Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger after Harry's name was selected from the Goblet of Fire. It seems that Ron and Hermione decided to believe the hype around the school and think that Harry deliberately put his name in." said a distressed Dumbledore.

"I don't care what kind of issues the three of them are having! They both deserve to be here with Harry!" Molly Weasley retailated.

Dumbledore was about to speak up against her wishes but decided not to in fear of a rather scary yelling from the Weasley matron. The old wizard simply sighed and nodded his head in a somewhat approval.

"I'll find them, Mrs. Weasley." said Professor McGonagall. "With any luck they're both in the Gryffindor Common Room."

"Wait! Try to find my other sons as well. Fred and George should be here for this as well." Mrs. Weasley stated

"Very well. I will try to locate them as well." Professor McGonagall stated. With that, the transfiguration professor left the area to find the others.

As soon as Minerva had vanished, Madam Pomfrey asked everyone to stand back as she performed several diagnostic spells on Harry's body to determine where the worst injuries lay. With a grim look on her face, she proceeded to inform the concerned visitors the news.

"Mr. Potter is badly burned with what appears to be a handmade chemical attempt at Fiend Fyre. This however is not normal fiend fyre because the person who made this was sloppy. They obviously didn't care too much about the right measurements of ingredients." said Madam Pomfrey.

"What? You're saying that someone deliberately sprayed Harry clothes in this chemical and then let him walk out there to get burned?" Bill Weasley asked.

"Precisely Mr. Weasley. His clothes were contaminated in the experimental compound because I can see no residue of the substance on Harry's skin. It's going to be difficult to determine what was used to coat the boy's clothes." said Madam Pomfrey.

"If that's the case then how do you explain the fact that Harry was not able to get his uniform off during the task? We all saw him struggle with it as if it was glued to his skin!" Charlie Weasley cried.

"It seems that whatever compound Harry's clothes came in contact with, must have been exposed for quite a while. The result made the uniform extremely heavy once the chemical reaction began and therefore stuck to his skin. There's no way something like this was an accident. This was planned by someone." said Madam Pomfrey.

"Who would do something like this to a child?" Molly asked while trying to get through her sobbing.

Everyone looked around to see if a particular idea had gone off in their heads, but alas the group had come up with nothing. No one had any clue as to who could have done this. That is, until Ginny spoke up.

"Madam Pomfrey, I think one of the other champions might have done this to Harry."

"How did you come to that conclusion, Ms. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, if I was a competitor in the tournament, I would want the people I'm competing against to be disadvantaged in some way or form. I'm not saying that any of the champions actually did this, but I would start investigating them first." said Ginny.

While the youngest Weasley desperately wanted answers. Who could have possibly hurt Harry? She was hoping that none of the champions had done this terrible act on her boyfriend, but it could not be ruled out. Then there were others to consider like Draco Malfoy, a possible death eater, or even worse, her brother Ron or ex-friend Hermione. Ginny really hoped that it was not either one of them, but anything was possible. No one spoke for several moments. The air was tense and the mood in the room was uneasy to say the least. Ginny Weasley's idea did make sense to everyone but no one was eager to speak their minds.

"Thank you for the suggestion Ms. Weasley." said Dumbledore. Ginny nodded but continued to stare at her boyfriend.

"I suppose next we should investigate the entire Slytherin house while we are at it?" Severus Snape grumbled. Everyone turned their attention to the greasy potions master.

"Or better yet, not even bother! It's obvious that Mr. Potter is entirely at fault here. The boy has always wanted fame and glory whenever it was possible. It seems that he had a trick up his sleeve that involved distracting the dragon with some fiend fyre that backfired. Any fool could see that Potter is a glory hound and he only got what was deserved."

All the Weasleys in the room gave the greasy Potion Master a glare of death. How could this man possibly believe that this was Harry's fault? Dumbledore was quite taken aback by his colleague's words but did not say anything.

"Quiet Severus!" shouted Madam Pomfrey. All the heads in the room turned towards her at the sudden outburst.

"This poor boy is suffering and all you can do is blame him for something that was completely out of his control? What is wrong with you?! If all you're going to do is criticize Mr. Potter then you can leave!"

Snape chose not to speak again but simply grunted in response.

"Well said, Madam Pomfrey." said Dumbledore with a smile and a wink.

After composing herself, Madam Pomfrey began speaking once again.

"Lets get back to the severity of Mr. Potter's injuries if none of you mind?" Madam Pomfrey asked. The group agreed.

"Right now his lungs are the worst if you can believe it. He has portions of the fiend fyre contamination in his lungs. The bad news is that I cannot remove the traces inside without having to replace the lungs completely. On top of all that, Mr. Potter's body is harmed way beyond the normal capabilities of a human. Since it's all been singed off by fiend fyre compound, it will be a miracle if his skin will regrow back at all. He has several broken bones throughout his body, and if he survives this encounter, he may never walk again. The heat from the dragon's fire breath alone caused part of Harry's spine to collapse and result in paralysis from the waist down."

The entire group of people in the room were barely holding on from what was being to said to them. Most of them were sobbing by this point, and in Snape's case, he actually shed one tear for the young man. Just one though.

"Since his injuries are this severe, I must urge you all that saving him at this point will be a miracle. There is a very good chance that Mr. Potter will not survive this attack and the operation on his body may not save him. If any of you wish to say your goodbyes before I start amputating Mr. Potter, I will keep him as pain free as possible while you're doing so." said Madam Pomfrey.

Ginny desperately tried to hold in her tears but the task was proving to be impossible when she stared at the almost corpselike appearance of her boyfriend.

"No no no! He can't die! You have to save him Madam Pomfrey! There has to be some way to save him. So do it!"

The doors to the Hospital Wing suddenly opened and in came Professor McGonagall followed by Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ginny was seething with anger and couldn't hold in her resentment towards her enemies.

"Oh just great! Bonehead and Bookworm are here to grind salt into Harry's wounds! I told you both not to come here, and I suppose you didn't get the message last time. I hate you both so much!" screamed Ginny with so much anger and hurt that it actually caused Hermione to cry and Ron to shudder.

As Ginny began raising her wand with red glowing eyes, her mother grabbed the wand out of her hand. Mrs. Weasley then spoke to her daughter.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley! Stop your shouting this instant! We all need to say our goodbyes! Please come over and say your peace to him! Don't let these last few moments with Harry be in vain by yelling at Ron and Hermione!"

"You don't understand mum! These bastards refused to believe their closest friend and in doing so caused him to suffer!"

The young Weasley then turned her head back to Ron and Hermione with fury in her eyes.

"Don't think this saves your pathetic asses from getting the hex of a lifetime from me! I hope you both rot in hell! You're nothing compared to Harry!"

Realizing that she was not going to be able to handle what was currently taking place, Ginny excused herself from the Hospital Wing and headed right outside the door. Fortunately the rest of the judges were no longer present as they had returned to their living quarters. Once she exited the Hospital Wing, Ginny started sobbing uncontrollably and did not plan on stopping any time soon. The only thing she wanted to do was fly and try to forget her troubles. In haste of doing just that, the youngest Weasley went off to the Quidditch Pitch. Molly Weasley was just about to follow her daughter, when Arthur pulled her in close.

"Let her go, Mollywobbles. She just needs time to cool down. She will be back to say goodbye to Harry a little later." Arthur softly muttered. The two Weasley seniors, along with their sons, needed to say goodbye to the young man that they considered to be one of their own.

"Were you able to find Fred and George, Minerva?" Arthur asked.

"I could not find your sons Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I will bring them by later if I do happen to see them." Professor McGonagall admitted.

Hermione was now bawling uncontrollably and realized only too late that she should have believed Harry from the start.

 _"_ _What was I thinking? Why did I take Ron's side? How could I not see how much Harry was suffering? I am the worst friend in the world!"_ Hermione thought.

Pulling themselves together as best as they could, the Weasleys, Hermione, the professors of Hogwarts who were present (including Snape for some reason), and finally Madam Pomfrey all started going one by one in expressing their final words to Harry just in case the worst should happen. The potions master decided to go first. Severus approached the bed of the charred student and started speaking.

"This is the only time you are going to hear any praise from me Potter so you better take it for granted." said Snape. "While I may have hated your father with all of my being, I know that the kindness and care your mother so passionately displayed is within you. I only wish that she was here to see you become the fine young man you have turned into. You're also not that bad at potions either, but don't expect me to say it again."

Snape finished and then backed away from the bed. Minerva McGonagall decided to go next.

"Mr. Potter ... Harry ... I was there when you were left with your aunt and uncle all those years ago. I have regretted leaving you there ever since, but I am glad that you have grown into the fine young man that represent your parents to the letter. You are like them so much and I only wish you could have met them. It was a pleasure having you in my house and, while the sorting hat may have had a difficult time in choosing where you were to go, it definitely suits you to belong in the noble house of Godric Gryffindor. I only hope you can find peace in the life beyond. Goodbye, Harry." Minerva said with small sniffles and tears throughout.

"Harry. I placed a great deal of pressure on your shoulders over the years and I hope you can forgive a foolish old man. These are stressful times and many more lie ahead. While Voldemort (most of the people in the room flinched at the name) has tried to return a few times now, and failed, I do believe that the sacrifices you have made for the Wizarding World have been for the better. It was a pleasure to know you my boy. Should you depart to the great beyond, I know you will enjoy being with your parents after being separated from them for so long."

Molly and Arthur Weasley were overcome with grief at seeing Harry's body on the bed, but were able to compose themselves enough to say a few words.

"Harry dear. There are so many things left unsaid from both Arthur and I that we wanted to share with you one day. We have always thought of you as a son and considered ourselves lucky that you managed to befriend Ron on that fateful day all those years ago. We love you Harry." Molly Weasley stated.

"Harry. You saved our only daughter from the possession of Tom Riddle in her first year and, even though you wanted nothing in return, we can never repay you for the kindness you have shown our family. Words cannot express the gratitude we have for you coming into our lives. You, son, will always have a place in our heart." said Arthur Weasley.

Charlie and Bill Weasley were not as familiar with Harry as they would have liked, but they offered their sincere thanks for saving Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, and always being there for the Weasley family when it mattered most.

After their speeches, Barty Crouch Jr., while still under the polyjuice potion as Alastor Moody, rushed through and was greeted by the group inside.

"Alastor? What took you so long old friend?" asked Albus Dumbledore.

"Caught a bunch of teenagers making out in the stadium. I gave them a weeks worth of detentions and decided to thoroughly inspect the stadium for good measure. Stupid kids." grumbled Barty Crouch Jr.

Dumbledore seemed to accept his answer and turned back towards Harry. After being briefed as to what was happening, Hermione was determined to go ahead and start with her goodbye to Harry. She was cutoff however when Moody decided to go instead.

"Potter. You were a great student in my class and I am grateful that I got the chance to meet you before the inevitable came. I only wish I could have seen you deliver the final blow to that snake worshiping psychopath. What a sight that would have been, but that's neither here nor there boy. You've done your parents proud."

Hermione came forward finally and found it hard to speak for a minute. She knew nothing she could say would change what happened the past few months, but the bushy haired girl was going to try anyways.

"Harry. I know this doesn't mean much, considering how horrible I've been the last few months, but I wanted to say I'm sorry. I don't expect your forgiveness and I would have done the same thing in your shoes if you and Ron had abandoned me. I … I have always considered you like a brother to me Harry. The three of us have been through so much together, and I can't imagine my life without you in it. I don't want you to die! Please get better and wake up! If you do I promise I will never lose sight of our friendship again. You are far too important to me to leave right now. Please come back Harry. Do it for me." Hermione weeped.

The girl moved forward and kissed Harry on the top of his head lightly so that she would not cause him any significant pain. After composing herself from the sobbing, Hermione moved away from her pseudo brother.

Ron Weasley was last and knew all eyes were on him. The only question was just what would be the last possible thing he would say to his ex-friend. With his mind still in turmoil, the young man approached the bedside. Ron found it difficult to speak at first, because he knew once he said what was on his mind, he could never go back. He finally gathered his reserve after a moment and began lashing out at Harry.

"I'm not sorry for what I did. You clearly entered in the Tri-Wizard Tournament for the fame and money only to end up broken beyond repair. If you do somehow get through this, you will have to deal with your injuries the rest of your life, but don't expect me to be there for you when you do. You always treated me like I was a sidekick and not a friend, everything always revolves around you and everyone hast to bend to your will, and you're only dating Ginny just to take advantage of her! She's my sister and you are only dating her to get back at me! I hope you remain this way. The decaying flesh really suits you Potter." said Ron.

The room was in an uproar with so many voices of anger screaming out at the Weasley boy, but no voice was as loud or as scary as the one coming from Mrs. Weasley.

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! HOW COULD YOU SAY THOSE TERRIBLE THINGS TO YOUR BEST FRIEND? YOU TAKE BACK THOSE WORDS RIGHT NOW AND APOLOGIZE!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.

"No, Mum! Harry-Bloody-Potter deserves this! You don't know what it's like being the "friend" of the Boy-Who-Lived! Hermione and I are constantly in the shadows while Potter gets all the fame and glory! Why should I ever say goodbye to him? I'm glad he's going to die!" said Ron. He then turned again towards the boy on the bed.

"You hear that, Harry? I meant every word! You deserve to rot in hell for treating me like you have! You are a glory hound who only cares about himself!" Ron shouted before he took off running out of the Hospital Wing.

The doors were slammed so hard that the room actually shook. It seemed that Ron set off a bunch of accidental magic once he left the room. The rest of the people in the room were shocked at what Ron had said and done that none of them spoke for several moments.

"That boy is going to get a month's worth of detentions, Dumbledore, and one hundred points from Gryffindor. I won't have anyone besmirch Potter's name while he is like this."

Dumbledore nodded his head. The Weasley's seemed to accept this form of punishment for one of their own, even though in their hearts they wished that Ron had not even said those awful things in the first place. It was after a minute or two, that Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat. All eyes were on her now.

"Well I am glad that most of you said your goodbyes to Harry. As I said earlier though, it will be a miracle if the boy will get out of this alive, and even if he does, he will be confined to a wheelchair the rest of his life. No matter of magical healing can fix this. I must now ask all of you to leave while some of the staff from St. Mungos, and myself, get ready for Harry's operation. I will send word once the treatment is over." said Madam Pomfrey.

The group of Weasleys, Professors, and Hermione were then shooed out of the Hospital Wing, while the healers from St. Mungos began flooing into the headmaster's office. Before they all arrived however, no one noticed that the boy-who-lived had silently cried in his bed with tears falling down his face. While he may have been in _The Emptiness,_ he still heard every word that was said and the anger from Ron caused him to break down at the true loss of his first friend.

* * *

 _(Right after Barty Crouch Jr. leaves the Gaunt House)_

Voldemort yelled at Wormtail to get up off the floor. This was easier said than done for the temporarily crippled Death Eater. Voldemort ordered Wormtail to call Death Eaters Nott and Malfoy to his residence at once. Without so much as a second thought about his pain, Wormtail summoned the two minions via the Dark Mark symbol on his arm with his wand. A few seconds later, two black swirling pools of ash appeared where Wormtail was standing.

"My Lord." both of the Death Eaters said while getting on their knees.

"Nott! I have need of your services! Tonight at midnight you will go to the Hogwarts Hospital Wing and give Potter a potion to save his life." Voldemort hissed.

"But, my Lord! We cannot save the brat! Please let your enemy die!" Nott all but begged to his master.

"No you fool! I need him alive! I realize Potter dying is a blessing to most of our plans, but I will not have him perish until I have his blood in my veins! Since we are connected through the prophecy, I can sense his life force is diminishing! Without the blood of my true enemy, the ritual will fail and cause me to be without a body again! Now do as I say!" Voldemort beckoned.

"Yes, my Lord. Of course, my Lord. I will see that it is done. What potion must he drink?" Nott hesitantly asked.

"There is only one potion that will save his life. The potion you seek is known as The Drought of Living Death …" Voldemort tried to explain but he was cut off.

"But, my Lord. That potion will kill him!" Nott exclaimed.

"Silence!" Voldemort screamed. "I am aware of that you fool! The Drought of Living Death has a special ailment, when administered correctly, that can revive a fallen victim. Do not question my wisdom again!"

Nott decided to not speak but simply nodded his head instead. At this gesture, the Dark Lord continued.

"Even if Potter is alive when you give it to him, the effects will counter the serious damage in his body and make him healthy again. I warn you Nott that he must only swallow 5 drops of this potion! If he has any more than that, the boy will turn to ash and will never be revived. Once the drops have been administered, mutter this incantation: _Potione Resuscitatio._ This will heal Potter of all his injuries. Do not screw this up! Now leave me!" Voldemort shouted.

Nott bowed to The Dark Lord and then vanished from sight.

Voldemort viciously turned his deformed head towards the remaining Death Eater in the room. His eyes gave a paralyzing glare as he stared at Lucius.

"Do you know why I have summoned you here, Lucius?" Voldemort asked while gritting his bony teeth.

"Yes, my Lord. You wish to punish me for the failed plans that my son has carried out." Lucius nervously answered.

"Wrong! You truly are a fool, Lucius. I wish to punish your son, not you, for the ridiculous scheme he enacted for the first task! Your son assured me that the fire would only burn him but not encase his entire body! His stupidity nearly killed him! Is your son insane? What was the cretin thinking?" Voldemort yelled with as much intensity as he could muster.

"My Lord, we only wanted the boy to feel the wrath of the Death Eaters. We wanted to damage not only his body, but his mind as well!" Lucius retaliated.

"Well as you have heard Lucius, the Potter boy is in critical condition and may not even survive the night! If Nott does his job thoroughly, then you should consider yourself lucky that your son's punishment will not be as severe. Bring Draco to me. He will be brought here so I can deliver the punishment personally!" Voldemort commanded.

Lucius was scared for what Voldemort would do to his son, but inside he was truly a coward and did not want to receive more pain from his dark master. As he heard Wormtail utter the words to the _Crucio_ spell, the elder Malfoy closed his eyes and waited for the pain to commence. The torture was long, but Malfoy knew he could not protest against his master. Once the pain had subsided, the senior Malfoy left his master and flooed back to the Malfoy Manor where he decided to write a letter out to his son. While it would be foolish to save his son from the upcoming punishment, Lucius could at least let his son know that he was going to receive the lashing of a lifetime. With the letter written, and given to an owl, the bird flew off into the sky heading towards the Hogwarts castle. Lucius only hoped his son would not try to run away from his lashing. To do so would be to court death itself.


	9. Chapter 9: Arrival (Part 2)

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **What Happened Previously:** Harry is taken into surgery and his loved ones say goodbye to him just in case the worst should happen. Ron admits his true feelings about being in the shadow of the Boy-Who-Lived, and abandons any hope of repairing their friendship. Voldemort has a sure fire plan to resurrect Harry in case the worst should happen. Lucius is ordered to bring his son to the Dark Lord for an impending punishment.

 **LAST EDITED: 3/5/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Arrival (Part 2)**

Ginny Weasley had left the Hospital Wing in a fury of pent up rage against her brother Ron, and ex-friend Hermione. The sounds of her parents pleading her to come back were fallen on deaf ears. Tears were streaming down her face as she ran all the way out of the castle and over to the Quidditch Pitch. That place always seemed to calm her down.

Normally Ginny would have been eager to go out flying just for the thrill of it, but today it was nothing more than a distraction from what awaited her back inside the haunting walls of the castle.

Her boyfriend was dying.

Harry Potter had been badly burned by a supposed sadistic prank gone wrong, or perhaps right, depending on what the outcome was supposed to be. The horrific part had been seeing the melted flesh peel off of his skin thanks to the molten heat from the Hungarian Horntail within the arena of the first task. Blood was flowing out of his body at a rapid pace and before long there were puddles of flesh, blood, and mud everywhere around the young champion's feet. The screams from the crowd were still resonating within the young girl's mind. Everyone was in a panic over Harry's demise and seeing a boy being charred alive would put anyone into a riot.

The prospect of her boyfriend possibly dying was becoming a definite reality as the moments passed. Her time with him was running short, but Ginny could not face him. She was too emotional, too hurt, and far too devastated to see Harry for what may be the final time. Ginny would say her goodbyes to Harry when she was ready, but not before.

With an old cleansweep broom in hand from the school, Ginny took off to the sky and did not return to the ground for about an hour. A trail of tears followed in sync with the fly pattern of her broom. When she was finally able to calm herself, the youngest Weasley was able to think more clearly on Harry's predicament.

 _"Who could have possibly wanted to hurt Harry_ _? He's dying for Merlin's sake! There's no way this could ever be just a prank. It was intentional! I know it!"_

Tears were spilling from her eyes once more, but the young witch was determined to not break down again. She grabbed the broom with a bit more intensity than needed to get a grip on herself.

 _"No! I have to stop crying. Harry would want me to be strong. He would want me to figure out who did this to him._ _I won't let you down Harry. I will find out who is responsible, but w_ _here could I possibly start looking? The school is full of backstabbers and liars who would love to see Harry fail. Does that mean any of them wanted to kill Harry? I ... I don't know. Maybe it wasn't even a student at all! It could have been one of the judges, or possibly even a professor._ _Then there's my earlier theory where it could have been one of the champions. One of them could have done this to ensure the competition gets easier. I would bet all the galleons my family owns that one of them knows something at the very least._ _The only person who I can rely on is myself! Well... myself and Luna. She's the only person I would trust with my life right now."_ Ginny thought.

An idea suddenly emerged in Ginny's head.

 _"Wait! I've got it! I know how to find out who's responsible! I'll use Luna! She is able to sense when something's wrong and could easily tell me who did this. Why didn't I think about this before? I need to see her right away!"_

With a plan in mind, the young witch landed on the field, put away the broom in the school shed, and sped off with haste to find her unusual friend.

* * *

It was still the middle of the day, but the Dark Lord didn't care. Voldemort was furious. He wanted the Malfoy boy now. The impending question was: How was he going to get him at Riddle Manor immediately?

Malfoy Sr. was currently held up in the Manor, so he couldn't let him leave. If Lucius did leave, it may give him incentive to warn his son and possibly help him escape. The younger Malfoy, who unfortunately was stuck inside the walls of Hogwarts, would be incredibly hard to get to. That is, unless Barty Crouch Jr. could bring him to the Riddle House. This would be difficult since security was in a panic at the school. The Dark Lord briefly considered Barty Crouch Jr., but realized it was foolish since he would be needed to handle the damage at the school.

Normally most people would give up if they were presented a challenge like this, but Lord Voldemort, heir to the noble house of Salazar Slytherin, was no pushover. The vile creature would have Draco within the hour and he knew exactly how to reach him: Severus Snape. Using his most obedient servant, the deformed Lord Voldemort sent a dark patronus with the use of Wormtail to Severus Snape. Thankfully this patronus was a unique spell of Voldemort's own making because it could only be seen by those with the dark mark imbedded in their skin. Within minutes, the dark haired potions master appeared from a cloud of thick black smoke that enveloped the room. Upon realizing he was in the presence of his master, Severus Snape took a knee and bowed to him.

"Rise, Severus. I have need of your skills." Voldemort hissed.

"You do me much honor, my Lord. How may I serve you?"

"I assume you've been informed of the scheming concocted by the Malfoy boy?"

"I am aware of his plan my Lord, if you could call it that. The younger Malfoy was careless and almost got himself caught trying to contaminate Mr. Potter's tournament gear." Snape responded with some amount of arrogance about him.

"Precisely. Draco must be brought to me at once. I can no longer have his insolent schemes running rampant, and it's time I dealt with his failure personally. I need you to bring him here so I can exact punishment."

"It will be done at once, my Lord." Severus said as he apparated away from his master.

Lord Voldemort was now alone in the abandoned house. Wormtail had left when Snape arrived, and was now gathering supplies for the Dark Lord, while his other servants were at their day to day jobs or just trying to stay out of the spotlight from the Ministry of Magic. It was in times like these, that Voldemort called upon his only real friend; Nagini the Snake. With a hiss from his lips out to her, Voldemort waited for his faithful pet to return to him. Within moments the snake appeared and a parseltongue conversation began between the two snakelike beings.

 _"Massster. It isss good to ssssee you again. How may I serve?" Nagini asked in awe of Voldemort._

 _"My friend, I need someone to help me remove these troublesome thoughts from my mind. You see, even though my goals are absolute, I have finally come to see the dangers in the creation of those Horcruxes."_

 _"I don't underssstand massster. Without thossse Horcruxesss, you would not be alive today. What troublesss you sssooo?"_

 _"I know dear one, but the pain and suffering are almost unbearable. Even though this body is only temporary, my soul will remain too damaged to ever be human again. I regret putting myself through this trial, because whatever new body is formed for me, it will not be the old one I was given from birth. I am a cursed man, Nagini._

 _Sometimes I feel I should go back and stop myself from creating those damn Horcruxes. They're my greatest weakness now, and if anyone outside our little group discovers them, the pursuit of creating a pure world will be lost." Voldemort admitted to the snake._

Nagini thought this kind of thinking was crazy even for her master. These kinds of thoughts would normally be punished with death were it any other follower. Vowing to keep her thoughts to herself, the serpent tried to allay Voldemort's fears.

 _"Do not fret massster. Part of you isss inssside of me, and therefore, we ssshare thisss burden together. No one will ever underssstand your pain like I do. This feeling of doubt will passs with your upcoming reign._

 _When the time comesss, I will do what isss necesssary to make sssure you sssurvive thisss nightmare, my master. I will not let you down." Nagini hissed._

 _"Of that I have no doubt my pet. Thank you for your counsel. You are the only one who understands."_

 _"Of courssse massster. Massster need only asssk and your wisssh isss my command."_

With the conversation ended, Voldemort took this rare moment to lay in his chair and let the worries of his mind drift away as he passed into a deep slumber. The small being held his faithful pet close to him as he slept on, knowing that if anyone decided to disturb him, they would receive death in the most excruciating of forms.

* * *

Luna Lovegood was never a typical normal girl and the whole school knew it. She may have been sorted into Ravenclaw, but from the way she was treated, it seemed as if the blonde haired witch was in a house all her own. There was nothing wrong with her, yet most people couldn't ever see past her quirks.

Ginny and Luna were the best of friends ever since they met at an extremely young age. The Lovegoods live only a few miles away from The Weasleys, and their fabled Burrow, yet most of Ginny's family weren't as accepting of them as she was. Luna's father, Xenophilius Lovegood, was a famed writer for the Daily Prophet years ago but moved on once his wife passed. Her death opened Xenophilius' eyes to all the slander that was normally spread across the pages of the Prophet, and as such, he could no longer support the mass hysteria. Luna's father became a reserved man after her mother's death, and as such, needed the love and support from his only daughter to keep on living. He would have done away with himself years ago but could never leave his precious Luna alone in this complicated world.

A year later, Mr. Lovegood started his own paper, The Quibbler, but it was not the big success he was hoping it to become. Sure, The Quibbler was honest and did report all that was said and done, but the long standing of The Daily Prophet cast a shadow over the man's business. When her mother died, Luna changed as well. Luna became ... different. The young girl developed an appreciation for Divination and even went as far to say that mystical beings called Nargles were everywhere but could only be seen by those who have developed " _the sight_ ". Xenophilius never understood what she was saying, but never criticized his daughter in any way.

Luna normally spent her time in the library looking up interesting things about the Wizarding World, or in most cases, tried to find a way to make everyone see the existence of nargles. So far, she wasn't having much luck. The Ravenclaw girl was about to give up her research for the day when her friend, Ginny, ran up next to her and sat down at the table.

"Hello Ginny. You've come to ask me about Harry haven't you?" Luna asked in a dreamy voice.

Ginny nodded in response, caught her breath, and then began relaying her fears to her friend.

"Luna. Have you seen Harry? Did you watch the first task at all?" Ginny inquired.

"No. I don't appreciate violence, even though it is ironic that we learn combative spells. I spent my time in the Dark Forest until I came here."

"But you are aware of what happened, right?"

"Oh yes." Luna admitted before she came over and gave Ginny a hug.

The young Weasley was stiff at first because of the anxiety brewing inside of her. She desperately wanted answers from Luna and the evidence was plastered all over her face.

"I am sorry about him, Ginny. I know how much you care for him." Luna stated.

" I'm just glad I have a friend as great as you to talk to." Ginny quietly admitted.

"You're always safe with me Ginny. I promise. Now let's talk about Harry. I am aware his injury was no accident, but we will find who is responsible."

"Doesn't your sight tell you who may be involved with his injuries?"

"It doesn't work that way, Ginny. While I may be able to see what is going on around me, I'm afraid I will need to be very close to Harry in order to get even some kind of reading."

"Can I take you to him now?" Ginny pleaded.

Luna agreed with her friend and the two of them rushed over to the Hospital Wing. With any luck, they would hopefully make it before Harry's surgery began.

* * *

Snape headed back to Hogwarts to find Draco after meeting his master. Snape began searching the Slytherin Common Room once he made his way back to the castle. He was disappointed however when none of Mr. Malfoy's friends were able to locate his whereabouts. With no other leads, Snape headed off to the Quidditch Pitch in hopes of finding the young man.

The arrival at the pitch seemed to have paid off. Draco Malfoy was going through the broom storage to find something to practice his seeker abilities on. Apparently, his Nimbus 2001 was damaged the previous summer and Lucius refused to order a new replacement for the boy. When Snape headed into the back of the pitch, and was able to spot Draco, the young Slytherin was able to see the potions master coming towards him, and he ran.

Draco knew what was coming. The time was upon him to have a chat with the Dark Lord about his failure to keep Potter mortally harmed from his schemes. Well if he was going to get punished, the boy was going to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible. Fortunately for Snape, he was able to stun the little cretin before Draco got too far away. The young Malfoy tripped over himself in the process and had knocked his head on the ground with such force that knocked him unconscious.

In what seemed like moments, the younger Malfoy was awoken from his slumber and noticed the location he was in: a dark rickety house that almost looked abandoned. Near him was his head of house Severus Snape, his father, Lucius, the sniveling Wormtail, and of course, in the chair nearest the fire place, was the one person he had not wanted to see in quite some time.

"Bring him to me Wormtail. My eyes are not what they used to be." Voldemort demanded.

The traitor walked to the young man, grabbed him with such force, and threw him closer to the Dark Lord than previously located. Draco knew Voldemort was upset with him, and the punishment was about to commence in just a few moments.

"Draco Malfoy, your actions have nearly disrupted my plans to resurrect my body using Potter's blood. Not only that, but you and your father had gone originally behind my back and started this group without my approval. Do you have anything to say before I decide the punishment for your actions?" Voldemort asked.

Draco wanted to speak but nothing could come out of his mouth. He was too afraid and vulnerable in this position to do or say anything that could spare him.

"Nothing to say? Well this will make it easy then for me to decide the punishment. Lucius! Over to me now!" Voldemort demanded.

Snape released the magically bound shackles around the Death Eater's arms and legs. After taking a moment to check his strained wrists, the man walked over to Voldemort and was immediately given his wand back.

"Lucius. Since your son has almost disrupted my plans to keep Potter alive, I am afraid the punishment I require for penance is death." Voldemort hissed. "Kill your son immediately."

At that moment, Lucius' eyes widened in surprise. He was expecting the Dark Lord to perform the Cruciatus Curse on them both, but this, this was too much for the man to handle.

"I ... I won't do it. I won't kill my son!"

Draco had a look of eternal gratitude for his father on his face as their eyes met. The moment was ruined however by Peter.

"Do it! We must not defy the master's wishes!" Wormtail shouted.

The rodent like servant then turned towards the Dark Lord and began begging to end the young boy's life.

"Please, master! Let me prove my bloodlust to you! I will end the boy's life. Just give me the order!" Wormtail pleaded.

Before Voldemort could punish his servant for speaking out of turn, the rodent man grabbed his nearby wand and began pointing it at the shaking Draco Malfoy.

"ENOUGH!" Voldemort excruciated. The power that emitted from his being knocked the others in front of him down to the floor.

Voldemort's rage was overwhelming and he had finally had enough of this pathetic excuse for a servant any longer. With a cold dead stare into Lucius' eyes, the Dark Lord spoke with such ferocity.

"You know what you must do."

Lucius seemed to have gotten the message because his wand instantly appeared from beside him. The rage filled memory of Voldemort demanding that his son die was flooding his mind. With enough concentration, the blonde man pointed his wand and shouted the spell.

 _"AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

With a large thud that shook the entire second floor of the house, Peter Pettigrew was hit with the killing curse that had claimed so many others before him and died.

Lucius was thankful the idiotic servant of the Dark Lord was finally gone instead of himself or his son. Voldemort may have given Lucius a pass this time, but the next would not be so lucky.

"You will not fail me again, Draco." Voldemort hissed to the boy.

Draco only nodded slightly as Voldemort gave him a wave of his hand to leave. Without saying anything, Draco and Snape returned to Hogwarts before anyone would realize they had left.

"Lucius, I have another job for you now. You will find me a new servant." Voldemort commanded.

A look of dread swept over the elder Malfoy.

"What of my position within the Ministry? Surely you don't expect me to do this while I am at work, my Lord?"

"Find someone quickly who can become my assistant Lucius. Your concerns about work are nothing to me!" Voldemort exclaimed.

"Yes, my Lord."

The elder Malfoy then used the nearby floo network to appear inside of the manor. As he came through the fireplace, Narcissa, his wife, noticed his early arrival.

"Darling? You're home early. What's the matter?" Narcissa asked.

"Narcissa, start packing your things and don't ask too many questions. I'll explain in good time, but we must leave immediately!"

* * *

 _(Right after Harry was taken away to the Hospital Wing by most of the professors and judges)_

Cedric Diggory was in complete shock from what he saw in the arena. While his skills were used valiantly in the heat of battle against his own dragon, Harry Potter never stood a chance. The other Hogwarts champion literally melted in front of Diggory's eyes and with it, all form of vengeance against Harry disappeared as well. It was far too late to go back and change time now. Cedric knew he would most likely be facing murder charges if he was ever discovered, and it was only a matter of time until someone found out. This was going to get extremely bad for him if he didn't figure things out and quick.

As everyone was ushered out of the stadium, Cedric tried to grab other members of the "Anti Potter Club" but it was no avail. The young man was being congratulated left and right thanks to his efforts in the first task by all of his adoring fans and spectators. It was rather annoying if he had to be honest with himself. There would be plenty of time for congratulations after Cedric could get the others in the group together and hopefully they all could get rid of the evidence together.

Then again … maybe not.

Maybe this was the moment to get rid of the others in the midst of all the chaos? It would make sense considering Harry was in dire peril at the moment, and it looked extremely likely that he would die within the coming hours. Cedric pondered this considerable option. Perhaps it was time to get rid of the dead weight from the group. Was he even capable of silencing others that way? Could he even consider this option since he was chosen as a Tri-Wizard Champion?

"Mr. Diggory! Please exit the champions tent and head back to the castle! We need to get everyone out of here immediately!" Professor Sprout shouted while distracting Cedric of his thoughts.

"Of course. Sorry professor!" Cedric exclaimed.

The young man then made his way through the tent and began walking back to the Hogwarts Castle. He was just about to start looking for his group members again when someone else grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.

"Sidric! Ve must go und see 'Ary Potter in de Hospitol." Viktor Krum grunted to the champion from Hufflepuff. Diggory was about to disagree when Fleur Delacour decided to put in her opinion as well.

"Ves. Let's all go visit him. Ve need tu go. It ez vat he vould du for us."

Cedric desperately wanted to avoid Harry in the slight possibility that one of his associates decided to come clean to one of the professors in the school. Diggory was running out of time and these two were just making everything harder for him now. Everyone had to be alerted some way, but nothing could be done at this moment when there were too many eyes watching, and far too many ears listening. There was only one clear choice to make that would drive suspicion away from him.

"Yes of course. I was just about to head that way anyways. Please, let's all go together. The Hospital Wing is just this way." Cedric explained as he led the other champions with him inside.

* * *

With all of the guests and visitors gone from the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey turned her attention to the small staff of healers that came over from St. Mungos.

"I want thank you all for coming. Please realize that we are dealing with an extremely difficult case, and have to be more delicate than ever."

"Don't worry, Poppy. We will do everything we can to save Mr. Potter." One of the healers said.

Madam Pomfrey only nodded in response and then began cleansing the room of possible germs that could infect Mr. Potter while the surgery was in place. After cleansing herself, she made sure the doors to the Hospital Wing were closed tightly so no one could enter for some time. The healers near her began cleansing as well, and before long, the surgery to save Mr. Potter was under way. Or at least, that's what they were all hoping for.

Just before Harry's surgery was about to begin, some shouting and pounding on the door outside stopped the healers from beginning. Initially they all waved off the pleas for help simply because whatever it was could wait until Harry Potter's surgery was over. Before anything could begin, the pounding on the door began once again, and the medical matron was becoming annoyed.

The doors to the Hospital Wing suddenly opened and revealed the other three Tri-Wizard Tournament Champions. While Fleur and Viktor ran towards the severely burned body in the contaminated bed, Cedric lagged behind. All three eventually made themselves over to the bed, but Madame Pomfrey was not having any more interruptions for the day.

"That is it! I will not have anyone else disrupting this operation! Mr. Potter is in critical condition and will surely die if he is not treated soon!"

"But we …" Cedric tried to explain for the group but he was cut off once again.

"No Mr. Diggory! I don't care if you are a Tri-Wizard Champion! Mr. Potter needs to be treated as soon as possible in order to save him. Please get out, all of you, and do not come back until the surgery is over!" Madame Pomfrey stated.

The other three champions were then ushered out of the room before either one of them could disapprove. The door was shut behind them and firmly locked this time to prevent others from trying to get in.

"Vull ut seems we must vait. I vill head buck to my quarters un check in later on Ary Potter." Krum muttered.

Cedric and Fleur merely nodded at the Hungarian Seeker and then, when all was agreed, all three took off in their own directions: Viktor to his ship, Fleur to her carriage, and Cedric was finally left on his own to seek out his other associates. With no other options, the Hufflepuff champion made his way to the library to see if his girlfriend was available. Perhaps with some luck, the girl would know a way to contact the other members.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, was in quite a conundrum. He knew who was responsible for the attack on Harry Potter's life thanks to his colleagues and friends in the portraits around the school. The old wizard thought hard on what he had learned and needed to formulate the correct form of action that was needed to be taken against the culprit. Sorry, culprits. Thankfully these students were blissfully ignorant not to have disabled the portraits around the school.

As he continued contemplating on how to punish these students, the headmaster found his head hurting and decided to review the events via his personal pensive with his own memories.

The wizard drew his wand, began replaying the events in his mind as best as possible, and then removed them from the contents of his psyche. The silvery substance was then placed into the pensive, and the headmaster watched as the previous events unfolded before him once again.

* * *

 _It was after a long day at the school when the old wizard returned to his office and sat down at his favorite desk. Fawkes, his Phoenix, and oldest friend, was sleeping nearby and it seemed like a burning day was coming on soon. Normally the Phoenix was boisterous, but whenever a burning day was approaching, Fawkes would sleep more often._

 _Albus was just about to ask Fawkes for some advice on some decisions regarding the tournament, when a couple of the portraits in the office began telling the headmaster what was going on around the school._

 _The portraits were able to concur that Draco Malfoy, not Alastor Moody, was the one who used the Avada Kedavra curse on Moaning Murtle in the prefects bathroom because he was the only one who came in and out of that room during that time frame._

 _None of the portraits were able to confirm what Mr. Malfoy was doing in the prefects bathroom, but Dumbledore already seemed to have the answer in his mind; Draco was the one who contaminated Harry's tournament gear._

 _Along with this information came the grave discovery that Draco Malfoy was recruiting others to do the bidding of Lord Voldemort by having Harry Potter harmed during the tasks of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. So far the paintings were able to identify Mr. Draco Malfoy, Ms. Cho Chang, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and the Hufflepuff champion: Mr. Cedric Diggory. Albus was warned there may be more people involved, but these individuals were all the paintings could see that played a part in the attempt to harm Harry Potter._

* * *

The memory had ended, and with it, Dumbledore had come out of the pensive feeling more unsure of what to do moments before.

 _"Why would these young adolescents get involved with something like this?"_ Dumbledore thought.

Dumbledore so wanted to make these children see the results of their repercussions, but he felt that it may be too late to save any of them. Most, if not all, of the students involved will be given a trial and possibly even sent to Azkaban for their involvement.

The headmaster was not looking forward to that dreaded conversation with the Ministry of Magic.

The pensive was stored away into its regular area, and Dumbledore looked at the clock that hung above the door to his office.

Time was vast approaching, and Dumbledore knew that the others he called upon earlier will arrive at any moment to discuss the latest bit of information about the tournament. Without a moment's hesitation, the headmaster turned himself to the door to his office.

The door opened and in came the entire staff of Hogwarts, the Headmasters of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, and judges of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. No one spoke a word upon entering, but Dumbledore could see that the confusion on their faces was evident.

"Thank you all for coming. The reason for this sudden meeting is of the utmost importance. I need discretion from you all when I the news has been shared. Is this agreeable?" Dumbledore asked.

At once the group of older spell casters began shouting and demanding to know what was happening. The noise was becoming overwhelming to the aged man, but Dumbledore held his own until the sounds subsided.

"Albus what could possibly be more important than finding out who is responsible for the attempted murder of Harry Potter? The entire Wizarding World is going to be in a panic because of this!" Minerva McGonagall almost shouted.

"Not to mention that the Tri-Wizard Tournament needs to be disbanded immediately! We must end this madness before any of the other champions perish as well!" Professor Flitwick asserted to the group.

"I assure you all that ..." Dumbledore tried to explain but was cut off.

"The tournament must not be cancelled! Their futures are at stake!" Barty Crouch Sr. shouted amongst the group.

All eyes turned towards the ministry official and the voices suddenly stopped.

"Go on Crouch. Tell them." growled Alastor Moody.

The tension in the room could haven't been cut with a knife as the man from the shadows continued his declaration.

"Explain what kind of hell is in store for these youngsters, should they decide to quit. Or are you not man enough to do so?" Alastor continued.

"What exactly does that mean Mr. Crouch?" Professor Sprout wondered.

"I too wish to know! What does any of this have to do with my champion?" Igor Karkaroff growled.

"Mine az zwell! I do not want Miss Delacour to be inzured!" Madame Maxine shouted.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore loudly commanded.

The adults in the room reluctantly agreed that they had unfortunately gone overboard once again with their shouting and became silent.

"Now Barty, please explain what is going on." Dumbledore pleaded to the man.

"Well ... since ... the Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract to all those who are chosen as champions, it affects their magical prowess as well.

You see when someone is chosen, their abilities strengthen in order to give them more magical abilities than they thought possible. This only works however if the champion is willing to compete.

Should a champion try to leave the competition before it has finished, the Goblet of Fire will consider it a withdrawal, and remove the magical energy that has been bestowed upon the champion. This, in turn, will cause the goblet to absorb ALL the magic in the wizard or witch, and leave them as a squib for the remainder of their days.

The Goblet of Fire has never had anyone try to leave the competition and we cannot start now. It's unfortunate that Mr. Potter has become gravely injured, but this tournament cannot be stopped.

The Ministry of Magic will not make these young competitors withdraw from the tournament, and if you value their lives, you won't as well." Barty Crouch Sr. stated with a small amount of determination in his voice.

Almost at once, the entire room began arguing and threatening the ministry official to find a way to disband the tournament at all costs. The Ministry of Magic wanted this tournament set up so bad, so now they would deal with the consequences and formally end the damn thing.

"It's not that simple!" Crouch Sr. repeated to the group once more.

"To hell it is!" Mad-Eye Moody replied back to him. "If this tournament was indeed banned for over fifty years before, surely we can discover a way to end it without endangering those involved! You and that damned Minster brought this on yourselves Crouch! Clean up your mess or I'll bring in the Auror's to send you to Azkaban!"

The group seemed to agree with Mad-Eye's statement, and forced Barty Crouch Sr. to figure a way out of this mess.

With nothing else left to say, the group dispersed out of Dumbledore's office and left the old wizard to contemplate about what to do regarding the children who attempted to murder Harry Potter.

* * *

Ginny and Luna arrived too late to see Harry as the doors to the Hospital Wing were magically shut. No amount of _Alohamora_ or _Finite Incantatem_ from the girls was going to release the magical lock infused with the door, and it looked like the two young students would have to come back later.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. It seems we must wait for the doors to open again in order to see Harry." Luna muttered to her friend.

Ginny, now visibly upset by not being able to say goodbye to Harry earlier, began pummeling the door with her hands.

"No no no no NO! Please let me in! Please! PLEASE!" Ginny shouted but then started dropping the ferocity in her voice as the seconds wore on.

The tears were quickly streaming down her face as she realized that it was too late to say goodbye to Harry. The operation had already begun and no amount of begging or magic could prevent it from being stopped. Luna tried her best to calm her friend down but nothing could stop the sobs of the red headed girl in front of her. As Luna began holding Ginny in a hug, the blonde haired witch shed a few tears as well.

"I didn't get to say goodbye. I ... I didn't ... tell him ..." Ginny tried to say through the overwhelming amount of sobbing.

"I know Ginny. I'm so sorry. I promise no matter what happens that you will see him again." Luna said to her emotionally broken friend.

"I him Luna. I ... want ... want to ..."

Luna said nothing at this point and just continued to hold her childhood friend. The young redhead sobbed for a few more moments against her friend, before finally being able to calm herself down. When the two were well enough to leave the front doors of the Hospital Wing, Luna guided Ginny towards the Gryffindor Common Room, but the journey was longer than normal because the young Weasley was dragging her feet behind.

"Ginny, we have arrived at your common room. Are you going to be okay without me?" Luna asked.

Ginny, still upset from before, knew that she wanted to go up to her bed as soon as possible so that this day could be put far behind her. With a small nod of her head, the red headed girl walked away from her friend and approached the portrait. The fat lady would have asked for a password, but considering how broken Ginny was feeling, she decided to display some mercy for the young Gryffindor, and just open automatically.

"Harry will be okay, Ginny. He's not going anywhere. You need your strength to give him your support for the rest of the tournament." Luna calmly mentioned before Ginny went all the way into her common room.

Luna then sighed slightly for the heartache her friend was enduring, but knew that Ginny would be tons better once Harry was healed. With no where else to go, Luna turned towards her common room and began marching up the stairs towards Ravenclaw Tower. Upon approaching the entrance tower, and answering the riddle of the day to get inside, Luna sought refuge on one of the open chairs in order to try and take care of some of her charms homework that was due soon.

As soon as she set down her bag, someone approached the blonde haired girl from behind.

"Luna? You're Luna Lovegood, right?"

Luna turned towards the student and noticed it was someone she had never met before. The surprising thing is that thanks to the girl's strong magical prowess with Divination, his name was already revealed in her mind.

"Your name is Terry Boot. I sense great distress within you. What is it you need?" Luna stated to the young man near her.

"How did you ... ? Nevermind. Yes my name is Terry Boot. I need to speak to you immediately."

"I would suggest you cast the silencing spell around us so that no one can overhear. Otherwise, if this does not bother you, please reveal all your secrets out loud." Luna oddly said.

"Umm ... right. Give me a moment." Terry stated before casting the silencing spell around themselves.

"Now how can I help you Terry? I suspect you are trying to talk to me about something that happened in the tournament. Am I correct?"

Once again, the young man was left speechless by this odd girl that was right in front of him.

"I swear Luna you're really strange. Yes this is about the tournament. I understand you are friends with Ginny Weasley. I would like ..." Terry began to explain before he was interrupted.

"I'm sorry but Ginny is already in a relationship with Harry. Your attempts to sway her would only end badly for you."

"Okay ... No I am not trying to go out with Ginny Weasley. I would like to talk to her as soon as possible and it's extremely imperative that I find her. Is there any way you can bring me to her?"

"Why?"

"I ... umm ... I can't say. It's really important Luna! Can you help me or not?" Terry nearly shouted.

Even though Luna was hesitant to help out this strange boy, she could tell that he really needed to contact Ginny. The young Ravenclaw reluctantly agreed to help, and Terry, in turn, nodded admitted his thanks.

"Please lead me to her before lunch if you can. I would like to get this off my chest as soon as possible." Terry admitted.

"Very well Terry. Meet me in front of the great hall before lunch is set to start. We will then go find Ginny together."

"Thank you Luna. See you tomorrow then."

Luna nodded and watched the young man head up the stairs to his dorm room.

"What a strange boy." Luna muttered as she turned back to her studies.

* * *

( _Later that night_ )

The medical staff in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts worked extremely diligent throughout the day, and well through the night, to save the life of Harry James Potter, but even with all their combined efforts it was for not.

Harry Potter was pronounced dead at 10:32 PM on the medical cot. The burns were too severe to be repaired and the boy had lost too much blood to survive, even with blood replenishing potions.

With a heavy heart, the small group of healers stopped their work on the young man, and all shed a tear in silence. A blanket was draped over his lifeless body to keep his identity temporarily secret. After they all accepted that the world would know tomorrow of Mr. Potter's death, the other healers headed home, while Madam Pomfrey retired to her quarters in a heavy sob.

An hour passed, and the Hospital Wing had not received any other visitors since the operation. This was perfect timing for Death Eater Nott to bring Harry Potter back to life. Ever since he had been given the task by his master, Nott began to surveillance the Hospital Wing from afar while not giving his position away within the Dark Forest. Since apparation was impossible to use to get inside the castle, Nott had to rely on pure stealth to sneak by. Thankfully, the castle was unguarded thanks to the Aurors on duty having been dismissed hours earlier, and Filch asleep in his quarters. With a flick of his wand, Nott enabled the _Disilliusionment Charm_ on himself, and sprinted to the castle. In what seemed like moments, the Death Eater was able to approach the doors of the Hospital Wing. The doors were luckily unlocked since the healers had removed the charms to keep the door sealed as they left.

" _I must admit that this was easy. The Dark Lord should just attack the castle instead of trying to revive the boy._ " Nott thought to himself.

In no time at all, Nott was able to find the cot that belonged to the Boy-Who-Lived. The blanket over his body could only mean one thing to the Death Eater: the boy was deceased.

"So you actually died, Potter? This is why idiots should not be allowed to carry out dangerous schemes. No matter. My master wants you to live, so it's time to wake up you filthy half blood." Nott whispered to the corpse.

The dark wizard then reached into his pocket and retrieved the vial of Living Death. With the potion now open, the Death Eater poured five drops into the mouth of the boy. Nott then pulled out his wand and muttered the spell _Potione Resuscitatio._ The spell engulfed the body instantly and covered the entire corpse in a glowing light. The light then quickly vanished, and the wizard put his wand way.

Minutes passed with nothing happening. Nott was growing impatient because his master was never wrong, but the drought was not working as promised.

" _Could this potion have been mislabeled? Why isn't it working?_ " Nott thought to himself.

The dark wizard then grunted in annoyance at the corpse of the boy before turning his back to him and heading towards the doors of the Hospital Wing. With his Disillusionment Charm still in place, the stealth wizard left the castle with ease, and headed back to his master via apparation.

As if expecting him to arrive at that very moment, Voldemort addressed his fellow minion.

"Have you done as I asked, Nott?"

The dark wizard then got on his knees and looked Voldemort square in the eyes.

"I performed your instructions precisely, my Lord, but Potter did not wake once I administered the spell and drought."

"It is no matter my servant, the boy will rise soon enough. Now leave me, and don't return until I summon you." Voldemort hissed.

"Yes, my Lord." Nott stated before vanishing from the sight of his master.

As the Death Eater left the room, Voldemort finally closed his eyes and breathed in with a heavy sigh of success.

"Awaken Potter. Awaken so that I may use your body as a vessel for my return, and eventually die at the hands of the greatest sorcerer in the world." Voldemort spoke aloud with a hint of pride in his voice, and a small chuckle that followed after.

* * *

Miles away in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts, the magic infused within the corpse of Harry Potter was finally beginning to activate.

The fingers began to twitch, the legs began to be restless, and the internal organs of the boy began to return to life.

As the rejuvenation ended, the boy finally opened his eyes and screamed so loud that the glass windows shattered all around him.


	10. Chapter 10: Arrival (Part 3)

**Disclaimer:** This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

 **Summary:** Part One of Three. After Harry's name is chosen from the Goblet of Fire, things start to go horribly wrong for the chosen one and a nefarious plot to eliminate him, from his fellow classmates, is put into place. Can Harry find out who is responsible for the darkness surrounding him before it is too late? Mature rating is for violence, gore, and swearing.

 **What Happened Previously:** Ginny and Luna attempt to see Harry before his surgery, but they arrive too late. Cedric is convinced his time is running out, while Terry Boot seeks a way to save himself. Dumbledore is aware of the plot to kill Harry Potter, but contemplates whether turning in the students involved is the best thing to do. After Lucius Malfoy is forced to kill in order to save himself, the Death Eater makes plans to leave Voldemort behind. Harry finally awakes from _The Emptiness_.

 **LAST EDITED: 3/6/18**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Arrival (Part 3)**

 _Previously:_

 _Miles away in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts, the magic infused within the corpse of Harry Potter was finally beginning to activate._

 _The fingers began to twitch, the legs began to be restless, and the internal organs of the boy began to return to life._

 _As the rejuvenation ended, the boy finally opened his eyes and screamed so loud that the glass windows shattered all around him._

* * *

Shards of glass were dropping everywhere. The bed, his hair, and the floor were all covered in thick pieces, thin pieces, and powdered dust that sprayed areas near and far.

As the glass continued to fall, the boy made use of his surroundings. Since he was asleep for hours, his vision was sparse and needed time to adjust himself. As his eyes came back to normal, Harry was able to see that he was in another part of the castle he did not recognize.

He was in the Hospital Wing, there was no doubt of that, but he was in a section he had never seen before. Where exactly was he?

Looking ahead, Harry was able to locate the sign down the corridor and above his head read: **"Intensive Care Unit"**.

So it seems there was more of the Hospital Wing than what was revealed. Harry knew his injuries must have been bad but apparently they were worse off than what he originally thought.

As he shrugged off some of the glass dust, and smaller fragments from his hair, the young man screamed in horror as he saw the state of his left arm.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ARM?" Harry shouted with ample amounts of fear.

At least that's what he tried to say. Since Harry's vocal cords were burned, the only thing that came out of his mouth was the croaking screech that made a sickening lurch from his bowels.

 _"Raayyyyuuuchhhhhrr?"_ Harry screeched with a horrific slur as some blood sprayed out his mouth and landing in a splatter on the bed sheets.

Realizing that the sheets were stained and his vocal cords were useless, Harry attempted to see what other burns were on his body, but any time he moved the pain would harshly inflict upon his body. The boy decided to try and not move.

 _"What's going on here? Why can't I speak?"_ Harry thought to himself in a state of panic.

The young man closed his eyes and tried to remember what happened before he ended up there.

 _"I remember fighting the dragon, getting set on fire, then … I met Mum. She told me how to defeat Voldemort! I need to tell someone!"_

Harry then tried to move his body once more, but found the experience to be even more excruciating than a few minutes ago.

 _"This is worse than anything the Dursleys have ever done to me."_ Harry thought.

Using the strength he had left, Harry jumped out of bed, but fell over because the muscles in his legs were massively under developed from the missing tissue and fell to the ground. As he landed on the cold floor, a blinding amount of pain coursed throughout his entire body which caused him to pass out.

The sound of Harry's body falling out of bed caused Madam Pomfrey to awaken from her nearby chambers. Being cautious, the medical matron grabbed her wand and created a light so she could see through the dark area. The first thing to do was to check on her patient's body in case someone disturbed it. Reaching closer to the bed, she was able to see that Harry Potter was gone. Initially her reaction was worried as to where he had gone, but after looking around the floor of the bed, she was able to see something large and mostly black.

The old woman knelt down and inspected the large object. After trying to determine what this thing could be, she heard the sound of breathing and a small amount of moaning. Madam Pomfrey now realized that this object was Harry Potter. Somehow he survived!

"Oh my Godric! Potter! You're alive! How in the name of Merlin is this possible?" Madam Pomfrey asked in shock.

"Help me Madam Pomfrey!" Harry tried to say, but all he could get out was: "Rrrraeehhhaaaaayycuuhhhh!" in a quiet voice.

"Your vocal cords are severely damaged from the fire, Mr. Potter. Please try not to talk. Can you understand me?"

The only thing Harry could do was nod his head slightly, but winced from the pain. Madam Pomfrey carefully pulled out her wand and levitated him back into bed all the while being careful not to to injure the young man. The healer then placed several pain relieving spells on the boy's body since swallowing anything would be detrimental.

"The spells I administered should get rid of some of the pain soon, Mr. Potter."

The matron then re-covered the young man in the bedsheet that was previously over his entire body.

"Please stay put and try not to move! I will alert the headmaster of your awakening. I'll be right back." said Madam Pomfrey.

The old healer scurried off in order to go to the Headmaster's office while leaving Harry alone on the bed.

* * *

Cedric Diggory was sitting in the Hufflepuff Common Room feeling more pressure than ever. There was a pretty good chance that Harry was going to die because of the dragon attack and the Fiend Fyre contamination on his clothes. From there, it would not be long before the Ministry of Magic sent a full team of Aurors to figure out what could have caused this to happen to one of the Tri-Wizard Champions.

Harry's death would be all over the newspaper outlets for a long time, and the people would demand justice for his murder. Everyone involved would be kissed, or worse, forced to spend eternity in Azkaban prison. This was something that Cedric wanted to avoid at all costs. He had a reputation to keep with his friends, teachers, and family. He was about to graduate Hogwarts after one more year of school, and he could finally become famous thanks to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Unfortunately he knew that his time was running out and fast. He had to act before someone in their group told, or the Aurors figured out what happened to Harry Potter.

 _"What should I do?"_ Cedric though to himself.

"Hey Cedric great job out there! You handled the dragon like a pro!" said a fellow Hufflepuff as they walked in.

Cedric nodded in acknowledgement then returned back to his problem.

 _"I've already considered just getting a whole new identity and starting over, but what good would that do me? Someone would recognize me, or I'd slip up eventually and just be thrown in Azkaban anyway._ _My only other options are to place the blame on someone else, or at worse case, kill the others so it does not get traced back to me."_

As soon as the thought entered his mind, a cold shiver went down his spine in the worst way possible.

 _"No. What am I saying? I can't kill anyone over this. I have to place the blame elsewhere. That's the only thing I can do. But where do I start? Who should I choose to take the fall?_ _Okay let's go over the options. There's Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, Terry Boot, Cho Chang, Vincent Crabbe, Greg Goyle, and myself. Who would be the best person to choose? What can I do to make others believe in my innocence?"_

"Cedric, you were fantastic today! You're doing a fine job of representing Hogwarts!" said someone else passing through the common room.

Once again Cedric acknowledged his fellow Hufflepuff. This time however, Cedric started to get really irritated with the people around him congratulating him constantly. If he could, Cedric would leave the common room but since the castle was on lock down from the events of the first task, he couldn't go out just yet. Then there was his room. Unfortunately he couldn't use that either since a bunch of other Hufflepuffs were having a study session, and Cedric wanted to be alone.

The only thing he could do was continue his thoughts.

 _"I won't be distracted again. If someone else says "hi" or "congratulations" to me then I will block them out. Now onto my choices._ _The obvious choice is to pick either Draco Malfoy for the fall. Draco is the one who started this whole thing anyways, so he should get all the credit._ _However ... Ron Weasley is also a good option. It's well known that Harry and the Weasleys are close, but I'm guessing that Ron and Harry are not friends if he decided to join our little group willingly. If he was selected to take credit for Harry's death, then it may throw the trail off of me entirely._ _There's one last thing to consider: Cho. I know she is completely smitten with me and will do whatever I ask, but the girl cannot keep a secret to save her life. Even if I do ask her to keep my role in this group secret, the truth will come out sooner or later. She absolutely needs to be silenced. But how?"_

The Hufflepuff Champion could not find a peaceful way for Cho to keep quiet without having to resort to violence. But that was not his style. Even earlier today, he did not want to hurt the dragon or engage in contact at all. That's why he transfigured a nearby rock into a dog so the dragon would be distracted from him.

There was only one thing he could do to save his life. He would need to reach out to either Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, or Gregory Goyle. Cedric was positive that these three were no strangers to violence and liked to torment other students around Hogwarts.

Since he was already distracted, Cedric left the common room in order to clear his mind. Maybe along the way he could locate the three Slytherins, but the sixth year student doubted it.

There was still the issue of solving a screeching a golden egg as well. So even if he could not locate those three, at least the young man could try to get ahead of the other champions.

* * *

 _(After Madam Pomfrey left the Intensive Care Unit)_

Harry Potter heard the doors to the Hospital Wing close and wasted no time. He got up and made a run for the door. Once again, he fell to the floor. Harry used all the strength he could muster to drag himself over to the doors of the Intensive Care Unit. Several scraps of flesh fell off the boy and remained on the ground with each movement. When he approached the door, the young man gave a hard push that barely moved the door at all. He was not going to get out of the Intensive Care Unit through the main doors.

 _"Ok. I guess I can't move the door. Maybe there's something else I can use to open the door."_ Harry thought to himself.

As Harry began to crawl himself over to the other side of the Intensive Care Unit, he heard the distinct sound of the Hospital Wing main doors opening. As quickly as he could, Harry got himself back into bed and feigned death just in case it was anyone besides Madam Pomfrey or Dumbledore. With his eyes closed, Harry attempted to remain as calm as possible.

Moments later, the door to the Intensive Care Unit opened and in came the sound of two different voices that Harry was very familiar with, even though their volumes were not louder than a whisper.

"I think he was placed in here. Let's go find him." the first voice said.

"I don't sense anyone else's presence here. We should be fine for a few minutes. I would make sure you say goodbye to him quickly. There's no telling when someone else could come in." the second voice said.

"I know that, Luna! Please don't rush me! I need to talk to him and I won't have you interrupting! Ok?"

A shadowed figure approached the bedside of the boy-who-lived. Even though Harry had his eyes closed, he could tell who it was almost instantly. That angelic voice could only belong to one person.

"Harry it's me, Ginny. Can you hear me?" Ginny Weasley asked quietly.

Harry wanted more than anything to respond back and let his girlfriend know he was alive, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Ginny would be horrified to see Harry alive like this: not able to talk, can't walk, and most of his flesh had been scorched off. With a heavy heart, Harry kept his eyes shut so that Ginny would be none the wiser.

"Harry. In case you can hear me, I have some things to say." Ginny quietly began.

"Harry, I am so sorry! I am so sorry this happened to you. I can't imagine what kind of pain you're in. When I saw you go down from my view in the stands, I went numb. I only wish you were never part of this tournament! This is all Dumbledore's fault! He could have gotten you out of the tournament somehow, but instead this is what happens!"

Ginny took a moment to try and gather her emotions under control but it proved to be impossible. Tears fell from her eyes and there was no signs of stopping soon. The youngest Weasley threw herself lightly on Harry's body and continued to sob.

"Harry don't die on me! Please don't die! Please! Don't leave me." Ginny continued to exclaim loudly but gradually her voice formed into a small whisper.

As Ginny was upset over Harry's condition, Luna merely watched from behind her friend and felt sorrow for the young man on the bed. She knew that Harry was awake, due to the fact that she could sense energy flowing through his body. The young girl could not imagine how hard it would be to hear a loved one wish you were not going to die, so she understood that Harry would not want Ginny to know that he was awake.

"Luna, can you sense anything? Is Harry going to make it?" Ginny asked bringing Luna back to the present.

Luna came forward and lightly pressed her hand to Harry's head and made sure to not injure him too much. It wasn't going to take a psychic vision to see that Harry was in a lot of pain.

"His future is clouded, Ginny. I cannot see how he will fare beyond what we have witnessed."

"Are you sure you can't see anything? I really need to know Luna." Ginny pleaded.

"I'll try once more." Luna stated.

Before she pressed her hands to Harry's temple once more, the young Ravenclaw muttered under her breath "I'm sorry Harry." Luna pressed her hands on to Harry's head with a little more force than last time. The boy in the bed made sure not to scream.

As Luna held on to Harry's head, and closed her eyes, a clearer vision came into place. Everything around the blonde haired girl went dark, and suddenly she was alone. The girl began walking around the darkness until she could hear a voice far off in the distance. The voice muttered:

 _"He's coming."_

As carefully as she could, Luna crept forward and the voice became even clearer. The sound of someone running toward her was also becoming more prevalent.

 _"He's coming. He's coming."_

The voice was instantly recognizable to Luna. It sounded just like Harry was speaking. Suddenly the voice became louder than ever.

 _"He's coming. He's coming! He's coming!"_

Luna turned around to see that it was in fact Harry who was speaking to her. He appeared to be fully healed from all of his injuries, but he was shaken with fear, and was sweating. He was even still in his tournament gear.

 _"Who is coming Harry?" Luna asked._

 _"Voldemort! He's back because of me!"_

 _"How?"_

Before Luna could receive an answer, the area changed to a dark corridor and Harry disappeared. The moon was out so Luna could tell it was somewhere outside, and the walls were made of hedges. Was she in a maze? The winds howled with ferocity that almost knocked the young girl over. The surrounding sounds of rustling made her quiver in fear but decided to press forward.

Luna began exploring the path laid out before her, but eventually ran into Cedric Diggory. This time however, Cedric could not see her. The young champion ran towards one of the walls for cover, and appeared to be waiting for someone. Moments later, Harry ran around the corner and started wondering which path to take next. As he started moving in to Luna's location, Cedric Diggory appeared behind him. His presence could only be described as raging fury.

 _"Harry!"_

 _"Cedric! Thank Godric you're ok. I thought I heard you screaming back there!"_

 _"Don't act like you care, Potter! You stole my moment in the spotlight! The cup chose me! NOT YOU!"_

 _"I already told you that it wasn't my fault, Cedric! Please believe me!"_

 _"Yeah right! You couldn't stand to have someone else take the glory away from you, so you found a way to enter the tournament! It's about time that someone put you in your place!" Cedric shouted as he began casting spells at Harry._

The two boys engaged in a wizarding duel that quickly became violent. Harry did evade some spells, but Cedric got a few cuts in that caused the Gryffindor champion some pain. Luna also noticed that the maze was reacting to their duel. The walls began swaying heavily and it looked like the roots were moving. Harry took refuge behind one of the maze walls to catch his breath, while Cedric appeared to be doing the same. The Boy-Who-Lived took in his surroundings, and noticed that straight ahead was the glistening light of the Tri-Wizard Cup. Perhaps he could get to it if he could find a way around the Hufflepuff champion.

 _"Stop this now, Cedric! I'm not your enemy!" Harry said._

 _"I don't care, Potter. I won't have anyone else steal my victory away from me. You have to die so I can win!"_

The Gryffindor champion decided to sprint around his maze corner and head down the path of the cup. Another round of spells were shot towards Harry but he was able to dodge them in just the knick of time. As Harry made his way down the path, he realized that Cedric will not allow him to continue while he was still standing. The only thing to do was to take him down. So the Gryffindor Champion turned back, raised his wand, and faced his opponent.

 _"If that's the way you want it, then fine! If you want to kill me then I won't hold back. Let's see who's the better man!"_

Harry blasted spell after spell at the Hufflepuff student. The result caused Cedric to fall over on his back. Harry tackled his foe and began beating him with his fists. The swings were numerous, but Cedric Diggory eventually overpowered him and continued his barrage of spells. Even though Cedric was more knowledgeable with spells, Harry was more powerful with each casted spell. The Boy-Who-Lived was able to defeat Cedric quickly by casting a few blasting hexes at his opponent, then when his guard was down, shot another hex at Cedric's knee.

The knee exploded in a bloody mess that surprised both Harry and Luna from the gore.

Cedric Diggory fell over from the loss of limb and shouted from the intense pain that resinated in his leg. The fourth year Gryffindor then came over to Cedric and grabbed him by the neck. Harry raised Cedric up to eye level so he could look into the eyes of his fallen foe.

 _"Go on then! End it!" Cedric yelled._

 _"I intend to." said Harry._

In the next moment, Cedric began screaming in pain Harry drained the life out of the sixth year Hufflepuff with a flash of red sparking energy.

Luna's eyes widened and was horrified from what she saw. The screaming continued on, despite the pleas for it to stop. When Cedric was nothing more than ash, Harry then turned around and faced Luna once more.

As Harry ran down the path towards the cup, the area changed once again to show Harry greatly injured in one of the halls of Hogwarts. The young man was hit in the back by a spell from an unknown assailant, and as a result, he hurt his head against the stone walls.

As Harry struggled to get up, he finally realized who he was dealing with.

 _"You? You're behind this?" Harry yelled with confusion._

Luna was about to tell Harry that she was not responsible for what happened, but another voice came in instead.

 _"Don't act surprised, put your name in the Goblet of Fire, and didn't tell me!" Ron Weasley yelled_.

Luna then turned to see the youngest male Weasley with an expression of hate and his hand tightly gripping his wand.

 _"I didn't enter the damned tournament you insufferable git! I thought we were friends, but now I can see you're only an arse who only cares about himself!" Harry said as he began holding his sides._

 _"You've had this coming, Harry! Even though I wish this was all my doing, I can't take all the credit for this betrayal. I had help!"_

Moments later, someone else began to emerge next to Ron.

 _"You're a cheat, Potter! You're nothing compared to me! I should have killed you sooner, but now it seems fate has given me the chance!" the determined voice of Draco Malfoy said._

 _"Why am I'm not surprised to see you, Malfoy? I should have known you were involved in this shite!" Harry answered back. He finally appeared to be able to stand up without holding his sides._

 _"You won't be able to take all of us on, Potter, but I will have the first strike against you! There won't be enough of your desecrated lifeless corpse to share after I'm done."_

Another person suddenly materialized next to Draco.

 _"You murdered Cedric because he's the real Hogwarts champion, Harry! I'll kill you for this!" Cho Chang yelled with hurt and hatred behind her voice._

 _"He deserved to die, Cho! I'm glad I killed that glorious bastard! I never wanted to be in this tournament in the first place, but Cedric couldn't accept that I didn't enter, and took his revenge out on me!"_

 _"I can't believe I was so blind. Malfoy was right! You're nothing more than a glory hound who took the spotlight away from my precious Cedric!"_

 _"Enough, Cho! I'll make sure your death is short yet painful. Despite this betrayal, I did have feelings for you once." Harry angrily responded_

Cho Chang said nothing, but held her angered expression at Harry, and began crying.

Luna could scarcely believe that Ron, Draco, Cedric, and Cho could have wanted Harry Potter dead, but these were not the last people to emerge from the darkness. Two more people came into view.

 _"We all want you dead you filthy blood traitor." Gregory Goyle muttered._

 _"No one will miss you, Potter." said Vincent Crabbe with a dastardly smile on his face._

 _"Of course. Mafloy's cronies. I'll make sure your bodies are hung on display in the Slytherin Common Room after I'm done!" Harry exclaimed._

 _"Enough talk, Potter! Cower at our power so our revenge will be even sweeter! Fire all spells!" Draco Malfoy shouted._

All of the vengeful students began firing spells towards Harry, but they began bouncing off of him with no effect.

Luna took cover from the spells by dodging out of the way just in time. When the Boy-Who-Lived reached Luna, he passed through her as if no one was there.

Harry then raised his hand and a dark red energy appeared. The energy began draining the life out of the remaining five students. Soon Harry's eyes glowed a sinister red as their energy and power were becoming his own. In moments, the bodies of Malfoy, Chang, Crabbe, and Goyle were ash. The only one who was spared was Ron.

Realizing he was outmatched, Ron attempted to get away by taking off in the other direction. He wasn't able to escape however.

 _"Crucio!" Harry shouted at his former friend._

Ron fell to the floor in agony. The pain coursed through his body with the intensity of a thousand knife wounds being inflicted at once.

 _"AHHH! STOP! HARRY STOP! PLEASE!" Ron begged._

Harry ignored his pleas for help. The screaming from Ron continued for several more minutes before the curse ended.

 _"Fine. I'll stop. I'm done with you anyways."_

Harry raised his hand and finally absorbed Ron's energy quickly. A new pile of ash remained on the ground where the young man had previously been.

 _"Useless fools." Harry muttered._

The scene then changed one more time to show nothing but the dark area Luna and Harry were in earlier.

 _"You've done well, Harry."_ A new voice spoke from the darkness.

The dark figure approached Harry and Luna dressed in a cloak as dark as night. His face was more reptilian than human, and his wand was composed of pale white bone.

 _"Those fools could not stand against you, Harry. They were weak, useless, and disposable. You must join me, Harry Potter. Only together can we_ _make this world anew."_

 _"I will never join you, Tom. Your time is over. It's time for me to reign in this world, and take everything for my own!" said Harry._

 _"Luna?" a faint voice said in the background said._

Lord Voldemort raised his wand and uttered the curse that all wizards fear.

 _"AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

So did Harry.

 _"AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

As the two spells clashed, a blinding light emerged in the center, and finally enveloped the room.

 _"Luna? Can you hear me?" the voice background said again but this time it was louder than before._

The light was too much for Luna to stand, and had to shield herself.

 _"Luna! Luna wake up! Snap out of it!" the background voice yelled._

The blonde Ravenclaw opened her eyes and saw that she was back in Hogwarts. The vision was gone. She shakily removed her hands away from Harry's arm, and was gripped with fear from what she had witnessed.

"What happened, Luna? What did you see?" Ginny Weasley hesitantly asked.

Luna did not want to tell her friend what had happened in the vision. There was no way any of this was true, right? After all, not all of the visions Luna had seen in her life came true.

The only thing Luna could unfortunately do was tell her concerned friend a little, but save Ginny from some of the heartbreak.

"I see chaos … and death. Harry seems to have a dark energy surrounding him. I see that he will live." Luna admitted quietly with her eyes deadlocked on her friend.

"What do ..."

Before Ginny could finish her question, Luna cut her off.

"I can hear footsteps coming. Madam Pomfrey is back! We need to hide!"

Luna abruptly ran and grabbed ahold of Ginny's hand. She dragged herself and her friend to a few beds farther down and the two of them hid underneath. In no time at all, the doors to the Intensive Care Unit opened abruptly and out came Madam Pomfrey. She quickly rushed back over to Harry Potter once again and began speaking to him.

"Mr. Potter! Are you awake?"

Harry opened his eyes and Madam Pomfrey could see that he was awake.

"I tried to find the headmaster Mr. Potter, but he is currently not on the school grounds. I have sent for other professors and they will arrive shortly."

"Unhhmrmm" Harry said in order to try and let Madam Pomfrey know he heard her.

A few beds over, Ginny was able to hear Harry's grunts and gasped. Harry really was alive! He was going to live! The young girl could hardly contain her excitement but had to in order to not be discovered.

"You were right Luna!" Ginny whispered.

Luna however was not as excited as Ginny.

"Yes. He's alive."

Ginny gave her friend a questioning look, but decided to not press her. The two girls turned back to what was happening with Harry and Madam Pomfrey.

"Try not to speak Mr. Potter. Help is on the way and we will get you fixed up. I promise!" Madam Pomfrey quietly stated.

The matron then grabbed some nearby medical equipment so she could start to treat Harry's injuries once again. She instantly found a tan colored potion and uncorked it.

"Mr. Potter I need you to try and swallow this potion. I know there is a lot of damage to your body, and this may hurt a lot to swallow, but it will dilute your pain for some time. Can you try to do this for me?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

Harry tried his best to open his mouth, but found it extremely hard to do so because of the severe burns. Madam Pomfrey could see that the young man was at least trying, so she carefully opened the boy's jaws so the potion could be administered. The shriek of pain that followed next was well justified from what Harry was feeling.

"I'm so sorry, Harry." Ginny whispered to herself. She started to cry once more.

"Me too." said Luna. She held on to Ginny while Harry was screaming.

Madam Pomfrey was struggling to keep Harry's jaw open because his muscles were extremely stiff in his mouth. She began to apply more force than normal to open his mouth, but as soon as she did, something unexpected happened.

A murderous red glow formed around Harry Potter's body, and suddenly his scorched hand grasped the face of Madam Pomfrey. The boy began to crush her face in with the unknown strength he was possessing, and in a matter of seconds, the Medical Matron began screaming in agony.

"Aahhhh!"

Ginny and Luna could only watch on in horror as to what was happening to Madam Pomfrey, for they were too scared to move at all.

"Please. Stop! PLEASE! STOP! AHHH!"

As Harry continued to crush Madam Pomfrey's face, the body of the older witch began to wither away into ash before his very eyes. All too soon, Madam Pomfrey's remaining clothes fell to the floor in a large heap. There was nothing left of the poor woman.

Harry's body began to retake shape as soon as the witch's life essence was absorbed through his skin. His hands, feet, arms, and more were healing miraculously fast, and soon, the boy looked like his old self once again.

Underneath the nearby beds, the feeling of terror instilled within the third year girls. The two of them continued to not move or breathe as much as they could.

The glowing red light disappeared, and with it, Harry was able to fully grasp the gravity of the situation at hand. He had killed someone and took their life in order to restore his own.

"AHHH! MADAM POMFREY! NOO! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?" Harry yelled at the top of his lungs with no lingering croaking or screeching sounds whatsoever.

The doors suddenly opened, and Harry was able to see the person who came in.

"Potter!" said a familiar voice from the entrance to the room.

Harry was shocked to see that Severus Snape, the slimy potions master, was standing in the doorway to the Intensive Care Unit.

"Professor please help me! I swear professor, I didn't kill her on purpose! I don't know what happened!"

"Silence, Potter! Your problems are nothing to me! All that matters is that I report to my master that the transformation is complete. You however will not remember that I was here to witness your murder of Madam Pomfrey."

"You're what?" Harry tried to say before he was placed under a sleeping charm from the potions master.

"Rest you little imbecile. Rest and continue to gain power from other pathetic wizards and witches. It's too bad you won't remember this, by my master has commanded me to do so. Your increase in strength will make my master invincible once he absorbs you too." Snape admitted to the unconscious boy while cackling throughout.

"Do try to win the tournament you arrogant bastard of a child. I only wish your disgrace of a father were alive to witness your death at the hands of my master in the coming months. I'll be waiting for you at the end to witness Lord Voldemort's true return."

The Death Eater then turned away from Harry's healed body, and quickly made his way out of the Intensive Care Unit.

After a few moments had passed, Ginny and Luna got out from under their beds and nearly screamed in horror from what they had witnessed. Being as terrified as they were, neither one could produce any sound from their potential screaming.

After waiting a few minutes to make sure that Snape was gone, the two girls ran out of the wing as fast as they could. There was no real safe place for them to go in Hogwarts, but they had to get away fast.

* * *

 _(Right after Luna left to get Ginny, and then see Harry)_

Terry Boot had seen Luna leave the common room only moments after asking her to meet with Ginny Weasley. The blonde girl had promised that she would get her friend to speak with Terry sometime tomorrow, but did not specify exactly when it would be.

Terry Boot was relieved that he was able to get Luna to listen him, but he knew the challenge was going to get Ginny Weasley to understand everything. He knew that she could have a fiery rage when angered, and had an extreme grudge against others when wronged.

As the seconds dragged on, the young man realized that this was not going to go well for him. Staying with this group of psychopaths, however, was a much worse option than to face a woman's wrath.

Could he possibly get out of this group, and hopefully take some of the others with him? That was a question he could not answer. Even though the young man was in Ravenclaw, the answer to the problem seemed elusive.

 _"Who would even consider abandoning this group anyways? If anyone left, Draco would make their lives unbearable and no one wants to be part of that. If only I could find out if someone wants to come clean and take down Malfoy."_ Terry thought to himself.

"Terry? What are you still doing here?" A voice from the stairs asked.

Terry knew that voice could only belong to Cho Chang, and instantly regretted being where he was right now. There was another meeting scheduled for tonight because of the success of their attack on Harry Potter, but Terry really did not want to go. The thought of celebrating someone's possible death was horrifying.

On second thought, this could probably work in his favor.

Terry had been getting the subtle hints that Cho was not always on board with what Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Weasley, and in some cases, Diggory had planned for Harry Potter in case he were to survive the fiend fyre attack. She would always protest, at first, that the other ideas the boys came up with were too cruel, but eventually went along with the group's decisions.

It seemed like the deciding factor for changing her mind was Cedric Diggory; her boyfriend. If he went through with something, Cho would always follow. So maybe that's the plan! First, Terry would need to get Cho to his side, and then force Cedric to comply if necessary. From there, the other members won't be as threatening if half the group wants to disband.

"Oh. Yes. I'm sorry. I lost track of time. Do you want to go together?" Terry asked.

"Yes that's fine. If we hurry we can catch up to Cedric before we all meet." Cho said as the two Ravenclaws started to head out of the common room.

"Do you know when we were supposed to meet him?"

"I know that Cedric wanted to be there about ten minutes early so he could start celebrating before the others arrived. Maybe we can get there before he gets too excited." Cho said.

 _"Great. Seems like Cedric is not going to budge on letting his revenge on Harry end."_ Terry thought.

The two of them continued walking with Cho taking the lead and Terry closely following behind. There was only a few more flights of stairs to go, before they reached their destination; the empty classroom on the second floor. Every meeting was hosted there because the classroom was, as of recently, always empty.

The classroom originally was the private hideaway for the Bloody Baron; ghost of the Slytherin house. Getting him to leave was not a problem though, since Draco was able to convince Alastor Moody to get the ghost to vacate. Terry was still amazed the Baron even bothered leaving at all considering how ruthless he could be sometimes.

Terry Boot turned the corner on the third floor's set of stairs one final time before he was stopped by Cho Chang.

"Where are you going? We are not meeting in that room today." Cho said in a quieter voice.

"I was never told of this. Who said we were meeting somewhere else?"

"It was Malfoy's idea. He wants to change the location from time to time in order for our tracks to be covered."

"Fine. Next time warn me about this so I don't end up going somewhere else." Terry stated.

Cho only nodded and once again took the lead. Terry followed closely behind. Instead of going back up, like the young man thought, Cho continued down the pathway of the third floor and went further inside.

"Why are we using a room on this floor? Most of these rooms are already occupied, and one of them is even bolted shut." Terry hesitantly asked.

"I know. The bolted locked room is where we are going." Cho said with some irritation in her voice.

Terry caught up with Cho so they were walking side by side. The young man was starting to get nervous, because of some nasty stories he had heard years earlier about a three headed dog that occupied that room. Surely Dumbledore would have gotten rid of that beast by now. Right?

The pair had finally arrived at the locked door at the end of the corridor. Since Cho was slightly ahead, she unlocked the bolts using the _Alohamora_ spell a few times. The door finally swung open and Terry stepped inside first. The room was completely dark and the young man couldn't see anything.

"Where is everyone? I thought you said Cedric would be here by now?"

"Oh he won't be here, Terry. I heard you talking to Luna earlier and I know you were just trying to tell her and Ginny Weasley about our plans. This is something that we will not allow." Cho smugly answered.

"That doesn't make any sense, Cho! What would I stand to gain by abandoning this group?"

"Don't take me as some kind of fool! We all know you want to be out of this group because you never go along with any of our ideas, or even come up with anything yourself. Your intentions are a huge weakness Terry! Maybe next time you'll fare out better. Oh. Wait. Maybe not." Cho stated while chuckling to herself.

"What are you going to do to me? Why would you lead me to this room?"

"In case you forgot, there's a reason this room is tightly locked. This is where that three headed dog is being kept, because it was a guardian for a series of traps designed to hide the Sorcerer's Stone.

The best part of all of this, is that Dumbledore never moved the creature at all! He's still fed on a daily basis in this very room! I can assure you that he hasn't been fed today however. Filch is extremely easy to manipulate when given the right incentive."

Terry's eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean ... you're going to kill me? Over something you have completely misheard? This is insane! Why would I tell Loony Lovegood, and her friend who opened the Chamber of Secrets, about what we did? What kind of person do you take me for, Cho?" Terry said as he tried to defend himself.

Both Ravenclaws then started to hear the sounds of loud rustling in the background. It was only a matter of moments before the three headed dog would awaken.

"Oh please. We all know you were going to turn us in sooner or later! Don't try to deny it you sorry excuse for a Ravenclaw! Now hand over your wand, or I'll make you!"

Before Cho finished the end of her sentence, Terry tried to grab his wand as fast as he could and fire a spell at his fellow Ravenclaw. Even though Terry was quick, Cho was quicker.

The girl fired off an _Expelliarmus_ spell before Terry could even finish the incantation. The young man's wand was knocked out of his hand and the power of the spell even caused him to step a bit back from where he was. Terry desperately tried to find his wand, but it was too late. Cho Chang sent out a _Petrificus Totalus_ spell at him, which caused his body to freeze and fall down to the floor.

"Nice try Terry, but not good enough. This could have all been avoided if you hadn't decide to expose us. Unfortunately your time has come to a dramatic end. I only hope your corpse is not too terribly mutilated so that someone can recognize you." Cho stated as she began laughing at the gravity of the situation Terry Boot found himself in.

The door was then shut tight and the bolted locks were put back into place. The sounds from the door fully awakened the beast, but there was nothing Terry could do. As Cho Chang began to walk away, the distinct sounds of the beast roared in anger through the corridor.

Terry Boot was done for, another loose end was tied up for the Anti-Potter-League, and nothing would stand in their way. Cho only hoped this would make Cedric extremely proud of her, and perhaps, even earn a substantial reward for her efforts.

* * *

 _(Right after Lucius returns from facing Voldemort)_

"Narcissa, start packing your things and don't ask too many questions. I'll explain in good time, but we must leave immediately!"

"What do you mean dear? What are we packing for? What is happening Lucius?" Narcissa Malfoy worryingly asked her husband.

Lucius knew he would never be able to get his belongings together without having to explain everything to his wife. The sooner it was done the better.

"Narcissa we need to leave immediately! Earlier today, the Dark Lord summoned Draco and myself to his old family home, but it was a trap.

Over the past few weeks, Draco and I have been planning a vendetta scheme on that Potter brat, but the plan backfired and the boy may die. When the Dark Lord found out about this failed plan, he forced me to kill Draco, as a reminder to those who fail their assignments."

Narcissa Malfoy gasped at the mentioning of her husband killing their only child. While it was true that Lucius and Draco did not always see things eye to eye, her husband would never kill her son. It was impossible to think such a thing! Wasn't it?

"I couldn't kill him Narcissa. He is our son, and the only heir to the Malfoy name and fortune. When I was about to beg the Dark Lord for another form of punishment, that slimy bastard Pettigrew got overzealous and wanted to kill Draco himself! I murdered the rat before he would ever lay a hand on Draco."

Narcissa released the breath she had been holding once her husband revealed that Draco was unharmed and still alive. She was still filled with questions however.

"Does that mean the dark lord still requires a blood payment?" Narcissa asked with some more hesitation in her voice.

"For the time being, no. But I am not going to sit around for him to make up his mind while you and Draco are within reach." Lucius answered back.

Narcissa seemed to accept that answer for about ten seconds, before she realized something incredibly important.

"Wait! Does this mean you are leaving me and Draco while you go back to him? After he ordered the death of our son, you're still going to follow the dark lord?" Narcissa asked with some venom in her voice.

Lucius grabbed hold of his wife rather forcefully so that the two of them were looking at one another. Narcissa didn't like the way she was being handled by her husband, but made a point to listen to him anyways.

"I have no choice, wife. While I do take pleasure in seeing lesser blooded wizards die by my hand, I cannot sit idly by while you two are in danger. As long as he lives, the both of you will never be safe. Now please stop asking questions and do as I say! I need to get you out first, and then withdraw Draco immediately from Hogwarts."

Narcissa knew that trying to reason with her husband right now was going to cause more problems than their worth. The troubled woman gathered up her belongings in breakneck speed, and was ready to leave the Malfoy Manor within ten minutes.

"Where are we going, Lucius? How are you going to keep us safe while the dark lord, has eyes everywhere?" Narcissa asked.

"Your destination has already been taken care of by someone who owes me a momentous favor. He will not betray your location to the dark lord, because he will not suspect him of knowing the information. Your hideaway will be a secret even from me, so that no one other than the secret keeper will know.

In the next minute, the portkey I am giving you will activate and you will remain there until this is all over. Before I do that, I need you to read this note. It contains your hideout location inside."

The woman opened the paper with the location written on it. The note read:

 _Narcissa Malfoy lives at 12 Grimmauld Place_

 _"Why am I being sent here? Surely Lucius knows what kind of place that hellhole of a house has become?"_ Narcissa thought to herself.

After reading the note, Narcissa Malfoy was given a key to the house which was the portkey that Lucius spoke of. Knowing there was not a lot of time left for words to be said, Narcissa embraced her husband for what may be a long time.

"Don't come back to me until he's dead. Since the dark lord feels that Draco is expendable, I will no longer live in that monster's shadow."

"I will. Draco will be with you soon, and then the two of you must stay there until this whole event has ended."

Narcissa stepped away from Lucius with a watery smile. The key was activating in her hand, and the tug of apparation was upon her. In seconds the woman whom Lucius cared for had disappeared from view.

Now that Narcissa was safe, Lucius had to go after Draco as soon as possible. The Malfoy senior then apparated a short distance away from Hogwarts so that he could begin his long walk to the front gates.

Minutes later, Lucius was able to get to the doors of the school, but was caught off guard when a ward bounced him back and landed him sprawled out on his back. It seems Hogwarts was locked down thanks to the fiasco that happened earlier that day.

 _"Of course. Why make it easy, Dumbledore? I guess Nott got in thanks to Crouch, but the fool put the wards back up! I guess I will have to come back later to get Draco."_ Lucius thought.

After getting up and brushing himself off, Lucius grabbed his cane and turned back to go down the hill once more. When he finally got within reach of the apparation zones, Lucius headed off to Knockturn alley. Since the dark lord was still in charge, Lucius had no choice but to find a replacement for Wormtail.

That spawned filled hellhole was as great a place as any to start searching for some kind of drone to help his master.

* * *

 _(Sometime in the late hours of the evening)_

The headmaster knew that the young Harry Potter was more than likely to die. To fix his sorrows, the old wizard headed to Hogsmeade and ordered a few stiff drinks at the Hogs Head. The headmaster rarely drank anything stronger than butterbeer, but made an exception tonight. The only saving grace was that his sibling, Aberforth, was not working this evening, and the replacement bartender was not aware that the two were in fact brothers.

Harry's potential death greatly upset the old man's plans to get Voldemort resurrected so that he could become mortal once more. The only reason why Albus Dumbledore even considered letting this heinous act come to fruition, is because of a prophecy that was made years ago that detailed Tom Riddle's death by the hands of a child who was born at the end of July fourteen years ago. Even though it could have been either Neville Longbottom, or Harry Potter, Voldemort saw Harry as his equal when he killed both of his parents that night.

It seems that Dumbledore's spy in Voldemort's inner circle was not going to be needed much longer. Snape had done his job, but with Potter most likely dead, there was not much else the potions master could do, except for a little reconnaissance work on the side.

Fourteen years of planning, manipulation, and searching for Tom Riddle's whereabouts were going up in smoke before his very eyes. Things were getting worse by the day, and soon, Dumbledore feared that the Ministry of Magic would get involved sooner rather than later.

The old man knew most of the members of a group that orchestrated the attempted murder (so far) on Harry Potter's life, but, as of a few hours ago, had decided not to pursue most of these hellions. Getting these children thrown in Azkaban or even kissed would be a waste of young life for right now, and Dumbledore only hoped that in time these students would serve his goals beautifully. Well ... except for one of them.

* * *

 _(Earlier)_

 _It was fortunate that fate seemed to provide him the entire list of individuals who were members of the, as they deemed it, Anti-Potter-League. The final members were revealed to him through the assistance of the Ravenclaw student, Terry Boot. While the headmaster was aware of most of the group's members, Dumbledore could now confirm that Goyle, Crabbe, and Boot himself were also involved in the planning of Harry's demise._

 _The young man from Ravenclaw had come to him right after his farewell session with Harry Potter. The boy was adamant that he tried to sway the other members into doing something less violent, but his suggestions were overthrown in favor of Malfoy's heinous plots._

 _Terry Boot wanted immunity from the Ministry of Magic and being sentenced to Azkaban in exchange for the information about the other members. The old wizard gave into his requests, and then promised to speak to Terry about this in greater detail at some point tomorrow. But Dumbledore wanted more leverage on this group than just the support from Terry Boot._

 _Another point also entered the headmaster's mind. If this boy would easily betray the other members of the group, then there would be no reason for him not to inform the other professors of the school as well. The old man could not afford for this to come true._

 _As Terry left the headmaster's office, Dumbledore called his phoenix, Fawkes, to send a quick note to Cho Chang, the other Ravenclaw in this group. The phoenix left via his flame travel method, and then appeared again a minute later. With his message delivered, Dumbledore only had to wait thirteen minutes before the student from Ravenclaw entered his office._

 _Before Cho entered his office, Dumbledore made sure to charm the portraits into not being able to see this little meeting. Thankfully, this task was taken care of before the girl knocked on the door._

 _The girl walked into Dumbledore's office and seemed quite calm, as if nothing was wrong._

 _"You wanted to see me headmaster?" Cho asked politely._

 _"Yes Miss Chang. Thank you for coming. Would you care for a lemon drop? I am quite fond of these candies."_

 _"No thank you, headmaster. Now what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"_

 _"It seems that something has come to my attention that is deeply troubling me, Miss Chang." Dumbledore began._

 _At this point, Cho began to squirm uncomfortably a little in her chair. It seemed like Dumbledore was aware of her involvement in Harry's attempted murder. The only thing she could do was play dumb, and hopefully the headmaster would be none the wiser._

 _"Oh? And what would that be, sir?"_

 _"Miss Chang, I have received evidence from some of the paintings around the school that you have conspired with Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory, and now Mr. Boot about the attempted murder on Harry Potter. Would you care to explain?"_

 _Cho Chang tried to hide the fact that her eyes widened, but it seemed the facial expression was not lost on the headmaster._

 _"I believe you are mistaken, professor. I would not involve myself with such things when I have nothing against Harry Potter at all. I mean I do believe he somehow entered the tournament by tricking the Goblet of Fire, but that doesn't mean I want him dead." Cho said while trying to remain confident._

 _"That's not what I've heard Miss Chang." Dumbledore began to explain._

 _"You see, even though you would normally not associate yourself with the likes of someone like Mr. Malfoy, I do have it on good authority that you blame Harry for taking away your boyfriend's fifteen minutes of fame, thanks to a certain admission from Terry Boot."_

 _"Why that little ... !" Cho began to shriek but was cut off by Dumbledore._

 _"It is quite astonishing that even you, a very brilliant student, believe Mr. Potter was able to trick the goblet at all, considering he is only a fourth year, and is not as skilled in spell casting or magical prowess as you, or any of your associates think he is._

 _What I don't understand is how you, or anyone else in this little group of delinquents, could have thought this was a good idea at all to try and kill someone. Do you realize that your actions could have very well killed this boy? Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Dumbledore asked the girl with some ferocity in his voice._

 _Only now did the Ravenclaw student realize the flaw in her logic. Harry Potter couldn't have entered himself in the tournament, because he wasn't smart enough or powerful enough to do so. Perhaps if he was a Ravenclaw it would seem more plausible, but he wasn't. Gryffindor students tended to charge into things without having to realize the severity of their actions._

 _The irony was not lost on the Ravenclaw girl that was currently sitting in the headmaster's office._

 _It seemed like there was no way out. Cho Chang was cornered and would be sent to trial at the ministry for conspiracy to murder, and attempted murder on top of that. That is, until Dumbledore came to her with an enticing offer._

 _"Miss Chang. If you are willing to listen, I would be able to forget we ever had this conversation, and in the process, spare you from a terrible fate in Azkaban Prison."_

 _"I suppose I don't have any choice." The young girl stated while admitting to her guilt._

 _"I need you to do me a favor. Since you have no problem following orders in order to make your boyfriend more successful, I have a way to ensure that not only you are spared, but Mr. Diggory as well._

 _I want you to pretend that things are normal within your little group, but report anything that happens to me. On top of this, I want you to take action against the weaker members of your group if necessary. They must not reveal that this group exists. I think we both know of who we speak of as a weak link, Miss Chang._

 _I will also make it so any portraits around the school will not be able to detect yourself, or the likes of Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Diggory, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle. Are we in agreement?"_

 _"Why are you helping me?" Cho asked with some confusion. "I was expecting you to arrest me after what I did! Why do I need to pretend as if nothing is wrong?"_

 _"Fortunately for you, Miss Chang, there are more pressing matters to deal with than the attempted murder of a student. It is for the greater good, and I am but a humble servant for the light."_

 _"Then I agree, headmaster. May I leave? I now have something that needs to be taken care of." Cho asked._

 _"Yes of course. Thank you for coming to my office today, Miss Chang."_

 _The girl nodded and proceeded to head out the door when Dumbledore stopped her for one final time._

 _"Do not forget this arrangement, Miss Chang. I want everything that happens to be reported to me immediately, or else there will be dire consequences for you, and your champion."_

 _Cho Chang gulped slightly from the fear that waved over her. Dumbledore was certainly not one to be trifled with, and now she had no choice but to help the old man._

* * *

The memory of this little arrangement between Miss Chang and the headmaster was extremely enticing for the old man. Mr. Boot would be taken care of, Miss Chang would be forced to comply in order to save her life and Mr. Diggory's, and Dumbledore would continue to gather information on this little group without their knowledge.

There was no way he could lose from this deal.

In the end, Dumbledore knew the only thing to do with these children was to reveal their actions to the Ministry, as an anonymous source of course. These students were only a means to an end to take down Tom Riddle. Everything else was merely an obstacle to overcome.

After finishing his drink, Dumbledore took his leave from the Hogs Head and apparated back to his office inside of Hogwarts. As the headmaster arrived, Fawkes' screeching sounds were intercepted immediately. Since Fawkes was his familiar, Dumbledore was informed that Professor Snape was on his way to speak to him.

The door to the headmaster's office opened suddenly, and a dark figure entered the chambers.

"Headmaster. I wish to inform you that Mr. Potter is awake. He also appears to have recovered from his injuries."

"This is wonderful news Severus! We must make haste and discover how the boy could have healed himself!"

The potions master quickly stood in front of the door so the headmaster could not pass by him.

"There is a problem you should be aware of, Dumbledore. It seems the dark lord tampered with his magical core, and has given him an extremely dark ability to absorb the magic of other witches or wizards."

"What does this mean, Severus?" The old wizard asked.

"I saw the boy absorb the magic right out of Madam Pomfrey. The boy drained her until there was nothing left but a pile of ash on the floor. Fortunately he will not be able to remember that I was there, and I have altered the memory so he is not aware of his new dark power."

Dumbledore was completely shocked. This was extremely bad and would surely disrupt all attempts to control the boy for his upcoming sacrifice for the greater good.

"We must not let Harry know of this, Severus. Will he be able to absorb the life of others easily? What should we do to keep everyone else safe?"

"I have seen this kind of magic be performed once before, headmaster. The dark lord tried this method on one of his followers years ago, but the ritual failed because the tribute could not handle the excessive amounts of power being absorbed into his body. The tribute was obviously less than worthy of this dark curse."

"What happened to the tribute, Severus?"

"The excess amounts of power killed him and caused a massive explosion. There were many casualties, but this did not stop the dark lord for long.

Since Potter is considered to be the chosen one, he may be able to sustain this much power and keep it under control. I cannot be sure, but, he may not have a limit to how much power he can absorb. When Voldemort gets his body resurrected, he will attempt to steal Potter's power for himself and become truly invincible."

Before the headmaster could respond, the potions master continued with his response.

"However. This could be a good thing, headmaster. If Potter were to absorb enough magic, and Voldemort were to steal it all from him, then it could cause the dark lord to explode, just like the unworthy sacrifice from before."

"And what would happen to Mr. Potter if Voldemort were to take his power?" Dumbledore asked.

"I assume he would turn to ash like any other victim. Regardless, Potter would be stripped of his magic and left as a muggle should he still survive the encounter." Snape confidently assured him.

Dumbledore, for once, could not find words easily to a given problem.

"This … is far worse than we could have ever imagined, Severus. Dark and difficult times definitely lie ahead for us. It is a shame that Harry was thrown into this situation, but there is no other way. We must, for the greater good, find a way to increase Harry Potter's power. It is the only chance we have to destroy Voldemort once and for all."

If Snape did actually care for Harry, then he would have done anything to prevent Dumbledore from going through with this insane plan. But any sense of care died the day the love of his life, Lily Evans, was taken from him by that bastard James Potter.

Ever since her death, Snape threw himself into the darkness and never looked back. That fool Dumbledore assumed that Snape was so distraught over Lily's death, that he would do anything to take down Voldemort before he destroyed the entire world. He was wrong. Snape never considered Voldemort to be the enemy at all. The only person who Severus Snape ever considered truly evil was James Potter.

It made no difference that Harry Potter was the son of Lilly Evans. Harry would die a fate worse than death at the hands of Lord Voldemort, and so would the rest of the world.

"I agree, headmaster. We must increase his magical core by any means necessary. Do you have any suggestions on how we could do this?" Snape asked.

"I do have one possible option. Are you aware that there is a group contained of a few students from Hogwarts who tried to kill Harry Potter today during the first task?"

"Yes. The dark lord was approached with an offer by Draco and Lucius Malfoy some time ago about humiliating Potter physically and mentally before the final task, making him extremely vulnerable. The plan backfired obviously, but as of now, Draco and Lucius have both been spared a horrible death from Voldemort.

The dark lord has not decided what to do with the other members of the group yet, but I will not worry. Voldemort always covers his bases. He will find some way to deal with these delinquents." Snape said.

"I see. Can you convince him to instead focus on the champions from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons? We can both agree that Harry is completely outmatched when compared to the other three champions. If Voldemort can manipulate the other two champions into trying to kill Harry, the boy would absorb their powers, giving him advantages along the way.

After the death of the other two champions, Mr. Potter would be able to get to the final task with hardly any issues. We need to make sure that Mr. Diggory survives until the end as well so that way Harry will kill him, and the other conspirators, during the final task." Dumbledore explained.

"How will you have Mr. Potter kill the other students before the dark lord regains his body?"

"I am not sure Severus, but we must find a way. The fate of the world depends on our actions. We must not fail." said Dumbledore with determination.

"Yes, headmaster."

With that, Severus Snape left the headmaster's office and shut the door behind him. While Dumbledore was unsure about the future duel between Voldemort and Harry, he was confident that both of them would meet their end during the final task. If not, it could mean the destruction of everything as they know it. No matter which one survived in the end.


	11. Final Notes

Hello all.

I am announcing that this is the end of Part 1 and we will move into Part 2 from this point forward.

My focus is to try and make each part of the story around 10 chapters or so, and each section will focus on a different task in the tournament. So no the story is not over, but it will be a little bit before Part 2 is released.

I also wanted to say that for the past 2 weeks I've been updating every chapter in this story so that it makes more sense. If you want to re-read the edits in each chapter, then great. If not, then that's fine too.

I'm going to do the same to _The New Beginning_ , and then start posting new content after the edits are all done.

Thanks for reading I really appreciate your support.

\- KRJ0792XX1


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